RIYADH: Chinese language instruction has begun in the country's schools to arm young people with valuable linguistic skills and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the Asian nation's culture.
Language teaching is conducted for primary and secondary school students.
According to reports, 175 teachers are teaching Mandarin in Saudi Arabia under an education agreement signed by the two countries last year.
“Arabic courses are widely available in Chinese universities, and many international high schools also have Arabic teachers.” (Shutterstock)
The ministry said young Saudi students will improve their chances of finding a job or continuing their studies at prestigious Chinese universities.
Hanan Alharbi, a Saudi mother from Riyadh, said she was “very positive” about the ministry's decision because it was “an important step to promote world culture and provide students with new and useful language skills, especially since the teachers are Chinese.”
The decision is in line with China's growing importance in the global economy and the flourishing trade and economic ties between the two countries.
SOONTHE FACTS
• According to reports, 175 teachers are teaching Chinese in Saudi Arabia under an education agreement signed by the two countries last year.
• Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education said it had selected several schools to pilot a language program before gradually expanding the curriculum to include education up to third grade of high school by 2029.
Taotao Wang, a Chinese mother from Tianjin, said: “We see this as a positive development. For us, it means sharing the cultural classics of Chinese civilization beyond our borders.
“For Saudi Arabia, it helps remove barriers to effective communication between our countries. This cultural exchange aims to find beauty in our differences and grow together.”
Alice Xiong, a teacher from China's Guangdong province, told Arab News that she sees it as a win-win situation.
“Saudi Arabia is an energetic country with many young people. More and more Chinese do business and travel in Saudi Arabia… teaching Chinese in schools will make communication between young people of both countries easy and direct.''
She said that Arabic is now being taught in China.
“Arabic courses are widely available in Chinese universities, and many international high schools also have Arabic teachers. I hope that cultural and commercial exchanges between the two countries will improve and improve,” she said.
The ministry said it had selected several schools to pilot the language program before gradually expanding the curriculum to include education up to the third grade of secondary school by 2029.
This step-by-step approach will allow the ministry to assess the effectiveness of the program and make the necessary adjustments.
The Kingdom's Minister of Education, Youssef Al-Benyan, recently highlighted the government's significant investment in the sector in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
