South Africa to teach Chinese in schools

More and more countries in Africa find the increasing value of learning Chinese.

The South African basic education minister announced the government’s plans to introduce Chinese as an optional third language in its schools recently.

They hope to have 500 schools offering Chinese over the next five years, and China is now South Africa’s largest trading partner.

The plan to introduce Chinese in schools is already in motion, with two teachers from China having already arrived in the country.

Every year, for the next five years, 100 teachers will be trained to teach the Chinese language. In a country where there are 11 official languages, English remains the most common language of instruction in South African schools.

Naturally then, the announcement of the introduction of Chinese at schools has been met with resistance from some quarters who are still demanding that all children be taught in their mother tongue.

Confucius Institutes are already well-established at five top South African universities to promote the language and culture.

Learning Chinese could open job opportunities for South Africans in China, while school leaders could choose to create more programs for Chinese studies at universities, they say.

The South African government believes the introduction of Chinese in its schools will strengthen economic ties.

With the rapid development of China’s economy, the world’s most-spoken language is gaining in currency too.

South Africa, the third largest economy in Africa, it’s clear to know this trend.