Education bureau to start Patriotic Camp H2

Patriotic Education Camp for Form 1 students in Macau will be rolled out in the coming academic year “to strengthen [the] patriotic curriculum in local schools,” director for Education and Youth Development Kong Chi Meng has announced.

In response to a written inquiry by lawmaker Ngan Iek Hang on patriotic education, the education official said his bureau will “take a further step to strengthen elements in patriotic education,” since a disclosure on the camp was imminent.

Another reason the camp is organized is to comply with the Patriotic Education Law of the People’s Republic of China, Kong added. The law is not part of the Appendix III of the Basic Law, which states the national laws enacted in Macau.

Kong said the camp will include tours to neighboring Zhuhai city or the cooperation zone in Hengqin, “so as to increase students’ knowledge in the development of Macau and the country.”

The education bureau has also “coordinated” higher education to established general education courses on the Constitution and the Basic Law “when they review the curricula of their existing Bachelor’s Degree programs, or approve those of their [] new programs.”

He also said the University of Macau and the Macau Polytechnic University had operated training programs, study camps, workshops and exchange tours to educate students in “the successful implementation of ‘One country, two systems’ in Macau, for them to become patriotic.”

In addition to that, the education official listed other content that focuses on building patriotism among students in local schools. This content falls within subjects such as ethics and civil education, common knowledge and history. Auxiliary materials concerning the Constitution and the Basic Law have also been published in support of patriotic education.

The official said the education bureau is working with a “professional entity or entities” to compile additional auxiliary educational materials titled National Security Education, which will also be used in the coming academic year.