DSEDJ flags need for careful review on relaxing overseas student admission

The Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) said that careful review is needed before relaxing overseas student enrollment rules for non-tertiary school.

In a written reply to an enquiry from lawmaker Song Pek Kei, DSEDJ director Kong Chi Meng noted that the potential impact on student numbers, class sizes, and long-term demand for non-tertiary school places must be carefully evaluated before policy adjustments.

“The proposal to relax overseas student admissions must be assessed for the scope and scale of incoming students and the long-term impact on non-tertiary school places,” Kong said.

“These measures also involve student visa procedures, as well as residency and activity permissions for accompanying guardians. Furthermore, pathways for mainland students to continue their education in Macau after completing non-tertiary schooling must be established. Such proposals should be considered in conjunction with social consensus.”

In his reply, Kong also recalled the government’s efforts to strengthen teacher development and professional growth.

He said the bureau “actively implements the ‘System Framework for Private School Teaching Staff of Non-tertiary Education’,” offering structured training for teachers at different career stages. Programs include training for new teachers, and mid- and senior-level school management training courses among others.

Key areas of focus include programming education, artificial intelligence, applied skills, constitutional and Macau Basic Law education, national security, and physical and mental health, to “better meet student and societal needs.”

In addition, Kong noted that the bureau collaborates with mainland key teachers’ universities to establish research and training exchange bases, helping teachers stay updated on frontier technologies.

The Education Fund’s “School Development Grant Scheme” also provides targeted funding for school-based training and full-time professional development.

Meanwhile, the director emphasized policies for Macau teachers practicing in the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

“Qualified Macau teachers who are patriotic and love Macau, after assessment and certification by the cooperation zone, may conveniently practice there,” he said. Under current regulations, Macau residents meeting the necessary requirements enjoy equal treatment when teaching at Macau schools in Hengqin and receive professional development allowances and service year calculations.

Also, Kong said the bureau continues to monitor changes in school-age populations and has commissioned studies to understand the impact on Macau’s education system.

He added that any proposal to ease overseas student entry must balance infrastructure, teacher resources, visa arrangements, and post-study pathways, and be guided by broad social consensus to ensure sustainable and high-quality development of Macau’s education system.