China funds language courses for British Columbia schools

[Francis Hult]

The Vancouver Sun

 

China funds language courses for B.C. schools 

 

An unusual announcement today from Premier Gordon Campbell.
The Chinese government has agreed to pay for the development of three Mandarin language courses that will become part of the B.C. curriculum.



The courses - described by the premier as a "gift" from one Olympic Games host country to another - will be for Grades 10, 11 and 12. They will also be available for free to any B.C. resident through LearnNow BC, says a release from the premier in Beijing.

 

High school students taking the courses will earn four credits per course towards graduation.

 

The Confucius Institute, which operates in downtown Vancouver by way of a partnership between BCIT and China, will develop the courses along with the ministry's course content development experts, the release says.



The Confucius Institute's dean, Lawrence Gu, describes this unusual arrangement as a "visionary program (that) will further facilitate mutual understanding and friendship between the people of Canada and China."

 

Full story:

http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/reportcard/archive/2008/05/23/china-funds-language-courses-for-b-c-schools.aspx

 

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