Macao special school set up in Hengqin

A new school for students from the Macao Special Administrative Region in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Guangdong province, is expected to enroll its first students in September, accelerating integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Hengqin School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School of Macao will mainly enroll students from Macao and Hong Kong, as well as a small number of students from Taiwan and the children of foreign nationals holding residence permits in China, said a statement released by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin earlier this week.

The school is the first of its kind for students from Macao in the country, said the statement.

The school will include 18 classes for primary school pupils and another 12 for kindergarteners, said the statement. Macao education authorities signed a cooperation agreement with Hou Kong Middle School last November, allowing its Hengqin school to join the free education system in Macao that indicates students from the Chinese SAR studying at the Hengqin school can enjoy the same treatment as in Macao.

The establishment of the school is an important step toward creating a learning and living environment that is similar to Macao for residents from the SAR, which is conducive to promoting the integrated development of Hengqin and Macao, and promoting the deep integration of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone with Macao's public service systems.

According to the statement, Hengqin has initiated the construction of high schools to provide a "one-stop" education service from kindergarten to high school and more convenient conditions for Macao residents to study in Hengqin in the months to come.

Xu Fengmei, deputy director of the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, said Hengqin is accelerating the construction of a high-quality livable and business-friendly environment to attract more residents from Macao to work and live on the island in the following years.

"Hengqin welcomes young talent from around the world to actively participate in the construction of Hengqin and join hands to continuously improve technological innovation capabilities and service levels in Hengqin and promote the high-quality development of the cooperation zone," said Xu.

Located at the mouth of the Pearl River, Hengqin Island is expected to register more than 5,000 Macao residents for work and 20,000 residents from Macao to reside there by the end of the year.

The figures are expected to surge to 80,000 and 120,000 respectively by 2035, achieving its strategic goal of promoting moderate and diversified economic development in Macao through the cooperation zone.