How is High School life in Perth different from life in Macao?

As Perth and Macao come from very different cultural background, ways of life for
high school student can vary a lot. It is believed that many aspects of high school life in
Perth and Macao are open to be explored. Referring to the geographic size of Macau and
Perth, Perth is nearly 50 times bigger than Macau. High School life is definitely one of the
most affected areas of variation in the availability of land. In fact, these two ways of life is
completely different. However, not only because of the difference in free spaces, but also
difference in traditional schooling structure, in terms of both structure in schedule and in
courses, are considered to be significant factors.
Many people suggest that education systems are the same even in different location.
An emblematic example is co-curricular activities. They are one of the most important
aspects in both education systems. Many students suggest that even they have left high
school for more than a decade, they can still clearly remember how important after school
activities were just as suggested by authorities 1. Usually, it is ranged from visual arts to
music, programming clubs to underwater robotics team, sports team to academic
enrichment club.
Leisure activities over weekends and holidays are similar to an extent. No matter
which city are they living in, they would gather in their holidays and play sports together.
Even though many students are not good at sports at all, playing sports has become a
common social activity in both Perth and Macao. In Macao, many people liked playing
badminton with their friends in the holidays. Despite the fact that most of them are not
good at playing badminton at all, they still participate in every game. In Australia, many
students like to go out for sports too. Many of them like going to club sports even they are
not good at it but rather just go to meet some new friends.
After all, the choices for sports are completely different. Although students in both
places play sports in their free time, the time they spent on playing sport is different.
Students in Macao do not play any sports usually after school. In comparison, students in
Australia play sports much more frequently, which, in my opinion, is a healthier lifestyle.
The fact that there are more opportunities for sport in Australia than in Macao may be a
cause. Because of the limitation of availability of land in Macao, sporting facilities are also
very limited. Only table tennis, basketball and badminton courts are included in the major
public sport facilities network in Macau. 2 However, it is believed there is a more significant
reason which is the different in way of living for high school students. In a government
research in 20003, it states that only slightly more than half of Macao teenagers do sports
regularly while the number at the moment is expected to become lower because of richer
options for leisure activities, such as computer games, and limitation caused by the
coronavirus.
1
Khan, A 2019, Role and Importance of Co-Curricular Activities at School, viewed 7 February 2021,
<https://www.jagranjosh.com/articles/role-and-importance-of-cocurricular-activities-at-school-1507643588-1>.
2
Macau Instituto do Desporto (Sport Department in Protugese) 2020, Public Sports Facilities Network, Macau,
viewed 12 February 2021, <www.sport.gov.mo/en/vbs/searchvenue>.
3
Cheng, CM 2000, Investigation of attitudes toward healthy lifestyles of Macau teenager, Macau Government,
pdf, viewed 12 February 2021,
<https://portal.dsej.gov.mo/webdsejspace/addon/upload/Upload_viewfile_page.jsp?id=6611&sid=&,
https://portal.dsej.gov.mo>.
 However, the most different part of the high school life is definitely the connections
between students and their school – the most important aspect of high school life. A
representing example is the time that students have spent at school. While many people do
not like spending too much time at school, I personally believe that it could be a useful
strategy to enhance belongingness to the school and build a stronger relationship with
schoolmates.
In Macau, school day usually goes on until around 4:30. However, it does not just
stop there, it often continues with a variety of co-curriculums, such as sports and academic
enrichment groups. this is believed to be symbolical because it implies the daily routine and
life for students would have no joints at all. For example, as school is going longer, it is likely
for students to have dinner later and finish more tasks in the longer lunch break in Macau
(usually one and a half hour)4. This simply means that school is the place where students in
Macau have spent the majority of their time. This can certainly enhance belongingness as
students would have spent more time in their school. For many students in Macau, their
school are probably their ‘another-home’.
Yet, a longer school day means more than that. In Australia, many students go back
home as long as there are no after-school activities on schedule. In contrast to Australia,
high school students usually stay at school after classes even though there are no particular
activities scheduled in Macau. Hence, stronger relationships with schoolmates could be
built. In Pui Ching Middle School, we are very proud of these strong relationships that would
have been kept even after graduation. There is a saying in Macau that your friends in high
school are probably your best friends in your life. Although it might lead to a smaller social
circle, I believe it is beneficial because it helps to create a stronger bond between students
and their school.
High school life in these two places shares nothing in common as a result of variation
in availability to recreational space, lifestyles, daily routines and solid relationships with
school friends. Maybe we have to admit that environment in these two places are so
different that students can hardly have a similar way of life even though links around the
globe become stronger when technology is becoming more advance.

4
Although this is not a research conducted by authorities, I am sure after asking friends from different school
from different background.