The sixth Lecture on Frontiers in Humanities organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) was successfully held at the Lecture Hall of the Cultural Building (E34) on 17 March 2022 (Thursday). Professor Cheung Kwok Cheung, Senior Research Fellow of IAS, Director of Educational Testing and Assessment Research Centre, Professor of Faculty of Education, and Professor Sit Pou Seong, Research Fellow of IAS, Associate Professor of Faculty of Education, were invited to give a lecture on the topic “Does abolishment of grade repetition improve student academic performance in Macao?”, and share their fruitful research achievements in the field of educational assessment. Professor Wong Seng Fat, Research fellow of IAS, Associate Professor of Faculty of Science and Technology, was invited to be the moderator.

The lecture adopted a combination of online and offline mode and attracted professionals, students, alumni, and external audiences from different academic backgrounds. During the lecture, Professor Cheung Kwok Cheung analyzed the seriousness of grade repetition in Macao and the influence of model test scores and grade level on students’ performance, and made an in-depth analysis from the perspective of PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment). Besides, Professor Sit Pou Seong discussed the school-based accountability system of the minimum education standards and the effectiveness of the remedial plan for repeat students, and put forward a win-win solution: reducing the repetition rate of primary schools to zero, so as to achieve the repetition rate of 15-year-old children below 20%.

This lecture belongs to the cluster of “Macao Studies from a Global Perspective” of the IAS. We will continue to launch high-quality academic activities in major research fields, to promote cross-border cooperation and diversified dialogue in various fields of humanities and social sciences, and contribute to the construction of an interdisciplinary and high-level university research platform.