THE Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training on Friday evening launched officially the Chinese language programme in six pilot secondary schools, the move that aimed at meeting the need of market demands as innovation of science and technology is at stake.
Launching the programme, the Deputy
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Leonard Akwilapo, said the
programme started in January this year, and it has come at a right time
when the country is in need of a new innovation of science and
technology.
“It is through mastering of Chinese
language, that our young boys and girls will be able to acquire
knowledge and skills through utilization of the scholarship
opportunities offered by the Chinese government annually,” he said.
He said the pilot programme started with
Zanaki and Benjamin Mkapa secondary schools in Dar es Salaam, Kilakala
and Morogoro in Morogoro and in Dodoma are Kiwanja cha Ndege and Dodoma
Secondary school.
Already 12 Chinese language teachers
from China have completed a teaching methodology course on how to teach
the subject in the six selected secondary schools. The course has
started with Form One and Form Five students in the pilot schools
whereas they will review to see if there are any challenges that need
improvement before the programme goes nationwide.
He said there has been a growing demand
of knowledge of the Chinese language taking into account the trade
relations between the two countries thus having communication skills
experts are vital.
Dr Akwilapo said they want to have a
good number of teachers who will teach after the volunteers leave the
country, therefore with the Confucius Institute of China, they have
special programmes to train the teachers at University of Dodoma (UDOM),
University of Dar es Salaam Muslim University of Morogoro.
He noted further that the students would
be examined in the Chinese language subject and graded like any other
subject taught in secondary schools, such as French and German.
On his part, the Cultural Counsellor at
the Chinese Embassy, Mr Gao Wei, said they will make sure they train the
needed local teachers to make the programme sustainable. He commended
cooperation and assistance received from both Tanzania and Chinese
government and respective ministries, to enable implementation of the
programme in the six secondary schools.
Confucius Institutes have been compared
to language and culture promotion organisations from European countries
(but with centres in Tanzania), such as France’s Alliance Française and
Germany’s Goethe-Institute.
Commencement of Chinese teaching in
secondary schools is another initiative taken by the government to
ensure that Tanzanians learn Chinese to take advantages of opportunities
available in China and those offered by the Chinese people.
Recent years have seen a growth in
partnerships between Tanzania and China, with Chinese experts and other
personnel being involved in almost all development sectors, ranging from
construction to petty trading.
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