Only 15 percent of secondary school pupils have a clear, long-term plan for their future, according to a survey conducted by the General Association of Chinese Students of Macau (AECM) and Macau Youth Research Association.
Findings of the survey entitled “Investigation on the influence of self-acceptance on Macau Secondary Students’ Career Decisions” were released yesterday in a press conference held at the AECM office, with the aim of evaluating local pupils’ self-perception, and how it affects their life and career planning.
According to a presentation during the press conference yesterday, data for the survey was collected from May 18 to June 5 and received a total of 1,433 valid responses, which were all secondary (F1-F6) pupils from 16 full-day local schools.
The survey results reveal that when pupils accept themselves, they generally appear to be more confident. Moreover, with a high level of confidence and self-acceptance, pupils tend to have a clearer picture of what they want to pursue in the future.
About 50 percent of the respondents said that they accept their own flaws, while 47 percent said they believe that they can achieve their life aspirations, according to the findings, according to which local pupils are generally confident and self-embracing.
However, the study also shows that 47 percent of the respondents feel lost about the next chapter in their lives, and only 15 percent of respondents have a clear, long-term plan for their future.
From the findings, the AECM concluded that there is a lot to improve in terms of academic or career planning for local secondary school pupils, suggesting that the city’s education authorities and associations should develop more systematic career planning programmes that can help pupils easily identify their life goals and suitable career paths.
During the press conference, AECM Vice Chairwoman Candy Un Su Kei urged parents and teachers to help pupils build up their self-confidence by putting less weight on their academic results.
“Help pupils discover their talents through extracurricular activities and let their lights shine,” Un said, adding that “this allows pupils to discover their passion, which would then help guide pupils towards their future aspirations and establish a career plan.”
General Association of Chinese Students of Macau (AECM) Vice Chairwoman Candy Un Shu Kei addresses yesterday’s press conference about the findings of a survey at the association’s office near Praça do Tap Seac. Photo: Nicole Iun
