The implementation of compulsory education is one of the most important public policies of a government. Education is not an expenditure but an investment in human resources. The benefits can be personal for people becoming educated and also can be societal, i.e., to improve the competitiveness of a society. There are three issues most often discussed and criticized by those who are concerned about the development of education,namely equality, quality and efficiency. The topic of this thesis is“In search of the development of compulsory education in Macao". In this thesis, the above three issues will be discussed and analyzed. It is suggested that the three issues can be considered as three dimensions in the development of an educational system. Since policies are implemented in order to maximize the satisfaction of citizens, therefore they are quite situational and contingent. Four suggestions have been made in order to consolidate the Macao educational system and to enhance the implementation of compulsory education in this region. i) allocate more resources in education and adopt a positive discriminatory policy for the disadvantaged; ii) empower the education authority and parents so that an equilibrium situation in the schools’ decisions making process can be achieved; iii) impose a regional curriculum and a scientific and systematic evaluation scheme; iv) define the minimum criteria for schools in order to improve the schooling environment.

發展義務教育是一個地區公共政策當中重要的組成部份，義務教育不是消費，而是對人力資源的投資，是為增強地區競争力而投放資源的重要項目。義務教育不單只對接受教育者產生積極的作用，更對整個社會有很大的貢獻，因此，對於投放在義務教育的資源所帶來的效益，便成為行政當局教育政策重要的因素。此外在教育民主化的世界潮流當中，義務教育的公平性更成為大眾所關心的課題，同時作為教育的參與者和接受者，家長和學生對學校所提供的教育質素日益關注，並提出要求，從這些趨勢中可以見到義務教育的公平、質素和效益是公共教育政策必須研究和了解的課題。本論文的題目是「探討澳門義務教育的路向」，研究方法是從公平、效益和質素作為準則來分析現時本澳的義務教育，指出公平、效益和質素之間不一定存在矛盾的關係，三者可以相輔相成，達至既公平、高效益和高質素的教育。然而，要達至這目的，便要經過教育的各方參與力量的商議和妥協，因此，建議以下四方面: 1)增加對義務教育的資源投放，除保證入學機會均等之外，還採用積極分別對待的原則，實施拔尖保弱的政策，投放更多資源在弱勢的學習群體和教育機構當中; 2)在發揮教育自主、保持一定競爭力的同時，賦權給教育行政當局和增能給家長和教師; 3)落實和深化課程改革，制訂地區課程和基礎教育能力標準，並且推行系統性的能力評估; 4)釐訂義務教育學校的基準，提高教育的質素。