On 29 October, the inauguration of three Macao principal studios and a symposium on school leadership outcomes were held in Macao under the Ministry of Education's New Era Programme for Distinguished Teachers and Principals in Primary and Secondary Schools, known in Chinese as the "Dual Name" Programme. School principals from Hong Kong, Macao and the Chinese mainland witnessed the inauguration and exchanged practical experience on the theme of "Educational Change in the AI Era".
Attendees included Tang Wai Keong, Director of the Education Resources Department of Macao's Education and Youth Development Bureau, and Wong Tat Choi, Head of the bureau's Division for the Development of Teaching and Research Personnel. On behalf of Jiang Kai, Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Peking University and head of the university's training base for the programme, Fan Aiai, Director of the school's Continuing Education and Training Office and executive director of the base project, attended the events with faculty members including Lin Xiaoying and Guo Congbin.
Three Principal Studios Formally Inaugurated
In his address, Tang called for full implementation of the national education policy and the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education. He expressed hope that the principal studios would play an exemplary role, encouraging school leaders to strengthen their educational ideals, deepen their commitment to the country and broaden their international outlook, thereby contributing to coordinated educational development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Fan delivered an address on behalf of the Graduate School of Education and Peking University's training base. She said the base would connect its academic resources in education and teacher development with school practice in Macao. It would support the principals in refining their educational thinking, sharing leadership experience and guiding teacher development, making the studios a platform for educational exchange between Hong Kong, Macao and the mainland.
The three studios were established for Wong Kin Man, Principal of St. Joseph Diocesan College (The Fifth School); Loi Kat Sat, Principal of Macau Kung Luen Vocational & Technical Middle School; and Chan Kin Pong, Principal of Kwong Tai Middle School. The studios serve as part of the national development programme and as platforms for principals to review school leadership practice, support teaching teams and share their outcomes.
Principals Present Outcomes on Educational Change in the AI Era
Following the inauguration, the principals joined a symposium titled "Educational Change in the AI Era". Wong, Loi and Chan presented their work on educational philosophy, curriculum and teaching, teacher development and student growth, describing how their schools are responding to change.
The presentations offered an opportunity for Macao schools to exchange approaches to teaching innovation and teachers' professional growth in the context of artificial intelligence.
Lectures and Roundtable Connect Research with School Practice
Lin Xiaoying, a tenured associate professor at the Graduate School of Education, Peking University, delivered a lecture titled "What Makes a Good School?" Drawing on the values and fundamental purpose of schooling, she invited principals to consider the criteria for a good school and how they can be realised.
Guo Congbin, a researcher at the Graduate School of Education, spoke on "Science Education for Young People in the Chinese Mainland: Outcomes, Challenges and Ways Forward". He shared research observations and practical suggestions. Together, the two lectures addressed questions arising from school practice and offered reference points for Macao principals pursuing educational change.
The symposium also included a roundtable on "Talent Development and Teacher Growth from an International Perspective". Principal representatives from five Macao schools, namely Pui Ching Middle School; Kei Ip Middle School; Kwong Tai Middle School; St. Joseph Diocesan College (The Fifth School); and Macau Kung Luen Vocational & Technical Middle School, discussed international outlooks, Greater Bay Area cooperation, teachers' professional growth and students' core competencies.
The events were also part of the programme of the Global Teacher Development Academy's Asia-Pacific Branch. Peking University's training base stated that it would continue working with Macao's education sector to develop the principal studios, support the exchange of educational ideas and promote teacher growth and student development, contributing to coordinated educational development in the Greater Bay Area.
This article has been edited and translated from a report by the Graduate School of Education, Peking University (read the original, in Chinese). Original contributor: Liu Peipei. Photos: Graduate School of Education, Peking University.