Catholic schooling, identity and social justice in Macau

Macau, a small territory of China, has a background of Catholicism that stretches back hundreds of years. The Catholic Church provides the majority of schooling in Macau. This paper reviews Catholic schooling in Macau, reporting an empirical investigation into Catholic principles in education and social justice, and how they are addressed in Macau's Catholic schools. It finds significant anomalies in Catholic schooling in Macau, including the gap between rhetoric and reality in the application of Catholic principles, compromising the principle of a privileged option for the poor, limited attention to social justice, neglect of openness, humanity, voice and empowerment (reinforced by Chinese characteristics of obedience to authority), over-concern for an instrumental view of education, and poor quality. An agenda for reform of Macau's Catholic education is proposed, and recommendations are made to address the impact of Macau's social problems and growing economic dependence on gambling and market mentalities.