13 schools funded to teach Mandarin

Thirteen Dunedin schools are to receive $343,850 to teach Mandarin, in the first round of Government funding for the Asian Language Learning in Schools, or Allis, programme.

The Government set up Allis, a $10million contestable fund, last year to support the teaching of Asian languages in state and state-integrated schools.

The programme aims to increase the number of pupils learning Asian languages to support New Zealand's growing trade and international relationships.

Two Dunedin clusters of schools - the Otago City Centre group and the Otakou Peninsula group - will receive $38,214 and $305,636 respectively, in the first round of funding.

Otakou Peninsula group leader and Tahuna Intermediate principal Tony Hunter said the funding would pay for a programme co-ordinator and three Mandarin language assistants.

The cluster of schools would design a programme and the language assistants would travel to schools within the cluster and work with teachers to deliver the programme, he said.

''If we get the Mandarin language programme embedded, then there will be a pathway from primary to intermediate to secondary school.

''Students will arrive at secondary school with a higher level of Mandarin already, so they can continue on and do NCEA in the language.''

Mr Hunter was delighted with the funding and looked forward to getting the programme up and running next year.

Otago City Centre group leader and Otago Girls' High School principal Linda Miller said there was a ''massive'' need to increase the number of pupils learning Asian languages, particularly Chinese, but there seemed to be a barrier to parents and pupils choosing it as a language when they went into the secondary system.

''The focus really needs to be around raising the profile of Asian languages, and the value to the individual and country, of learning those languages, and encouraging more people to learn them.

''So we're going to have to look at creative ways of providing opportunities for students at all levels to take, and enjoy, learning Asian languages.''

Part of the funding would also be used to up-skill New Zealand teachers of Chinese, she said.

When Allis was launched last year, Education Minister Hekia Parata said the next generation needed to be able to work in different cultural environments and communicate in different languages as New Zealand's international and trading links grew, particularly with Asian countries.

''Since 2008, our trade with China has quadrupled and it is now our second largest export market. As a result of this strengthening relationship, National has decided to prioritise Mandarin as the primary focus of this new funding.''

At secondary school level, Japanese is taught at around 160 schools, Mandarin at fewer than 40 schools and Korean at two schools at present.

''Our long term goal is that all New Zealand students will develop reasonable proficiency in a second language.''

john.lewis@odt.co.nz

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