Chinese to be introduced in Lagos public schools from next session - LOBATAN **LAUGHING HARD**

The Lagos State Government, on Monday, announced that it would introduce Mandarin, or Chinese language, in public schools’ curriculum as from next session.

Olayinka Oladunjoye, the state’s Commissioner for Education, in a statement signed by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Lanre Bajulaiye, said that learning the language in the state’s public schools would be an opportunity for the pupils and students to speak the language and be able to adapt to the Chinese culture.

The commissioner said this after a delegation from the Chinese Confucius Institute of the University of Lagos visited her.

Caleb Orimoogunje, Director of the Institute, said that the institution was ready to assist the state with necessary logistics to make the teaching and learning of the language easier; adding that Lirong Jiang, a co-director of the institute, would help in the take-off of the programme.
Jiang said the institute, as a representative of the Chinese culture in Nigeria, was set up to satisfy people’s need about the country’s culture.
She noted that the language became necessary because China had become the new destination for economic growth and technological development.
“The Institute is prepared to provide Chinese instructors to teach the language and culture in the state’s public schools as soon as the Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the state and the institute,” she said. “The knowledge of Chinese language will help students to further their studies in China and carry out research in various fields of human endeavour as China has become a success story in the world economy.”



Source: Daily Times