澳門的課程發展模式並非中央或核心課程主導，殖民政府的不干預態度使澳門形成了“大市場，小政府”的政體，華人教育也因此呈現放任自流、自生自滅的狀態，多樣化的“校本課程”亦成為基本特徵。1995 年首次出臺的官方課程只限於官立學校實施。1999 年，回歸前夕發佈的官方課程成為歷史時刻的印記。回歸後特區政府增大對公共事務的投入，強化對教育的間接調控和干預。然而，在《基本法》對私立學校辦學自主權的確認下。政府主導的教改舉步維艱。近年來，政府採用各項資助政策吸引學校參與課程變革。本文探討歷史、政治和教師的課程理解形構本地課程的實踐，呈現“澳門製造”課程過程中的複雜問題和阻力。研究資料來自政府政策及前線教師的訪談資料。

The mode of curriculum development in Macao is different from that in most Chinese societies where there is commonly the presence of a centralised or core curriculum. The long-standing non-intervention attitude from the Portuguese administration has left Macao a “big market, small government” regime in which the government had limited participation in overall social matters. In such a context, government policy was limited in actual practice and reduced to a visible symbol. Amongst different social matters, education is one of the most contested terrains prior to and following the handover of Macao to Chinese sovereignty in 1999. In Macao, the diversified “school-based curriculum” in all schools can be regarded as a prominent phenomenon in education. In the face of such curricular diversity, the government launched the first official curriculum in 1995 and the implementation of this curriculum was limited to government schools. A revised official curriculum was published in 1999 before the handover. With the shift of Macao’s sovereignty to China in 1999, the Special Administrative Region of Macao (the Macao SAR) made great efforts to re-participate in all social matters including education so as to assume and resume its state responsibilities and intended to switch its administration to one that would signify a “strong government” regime. However, this change for intervention and introduction of any possible reforms on the part of the government encountered much “resistance” from local schools. The main reason is that the major components in the education system in Macao are private schools, not government schools, and these private schools enjoy a lot of “self autonomy” according to the Macao SAR Basic Law. The principle of self autonomy in these schools allows them to resist change and the reforms that the government introduces. In the post-1999 era, instead of forcefully implementing curriculum reform, the Macao SAR adopts a money-driven policy to effect changes in schools. This article discusses how history, politics and front-line teachers’ perception can frame emerging curriculum practice in the territory. The discussion draws upon data from government policy documents and interviews with front-line teachers and unfolds the complexities involved in the negotiation for a “Made in Macao” curriculum.