Africa Focus: Zambia mulls introducing Chinese language in education curriculum

The Zambian government is in the process of including the Chinese language into its education curriculum as part of efforts to promote the learning of the language to all parts of the country.

Deputy Minister of Education Sydney Mushanga said Friday that his ministry is in the process of including Chinese onto the national curriculum and list of examinable subjects by the country's Examination Council.

"I also hope that we can roll-out Chinese to more schools after having piloted it," he said during a ceremony to celebrate the International Confucius Institute Day, which falls on September 27 and the inauguration of one of the Chinese teaching post, Rhodespark School, into a Confucius classroom, which is higher than an ordinary teaching post.

The government, he said, was committed to its new educational framework that includes Chinese as one of three foreign languages to be taught in schools after French and Portuguese.

According to him, the two countries were investing in Chinese language education to not only improve understanding but also grow business thereby creating more opportunities especially for children and youth.

"The long-standing essential relations between Zambia and the People's Republic of China has over the years grown numerous business opportunities between our two great nations. The growing demand for Chinese language in Zambia, is therefore a natural need for better communication between the two peoples," he added.

The Confucius Institute, run collaboratively by the University of Zambia (UNZA) and Hebei University of Economics and Business (China)), has been teaching Chinese language and culture to local Zambians for the last five years.

So far, 7, 200 students have passed through the Confucius Institute which has seen the establishment of 18 teaching posts throughout the southern African nation. Two of the 18 teaching posts have been transformed into Confucius classrooms.

The first-ever Confucius Institute building in Africa being built at the University of Zambia is on the verge of being completed.

While applauding the move to introduce Chinese in the country's education system, the Zambian minister called for the development of local Chinese teachers.

"While I appreciate China for supporting all teaching activities, the program will only be sustainable if we embark on a program of local teacher development," he added.

On his part, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Yang Youming said on the same occasion that Confucius Institutes have become a platform for the promotion of Chinese language and culture and a window for people across the world to get to know China as well as a showground for intercultural exchanges.

"Amity between people holds the key to sound relations between states, communication between minds holds the key to amity between people. Learning Chinese can open a window for people to get to know Chinese culture and build a bridge to communicate between different people," he said.

In 2014, the headquarter of the Confucius Institute of China designated September 27 as the first International Confucius Day. Endit