17 Chinese Volunteers Arrive to Bolster Modern Chinese Teaching in Primary Schools

Teachers from China have been deployed to primary schools across Mauritius to address a shortage of “Modern Chinese” educators. The group of seventeen young volunteers, who have been in the country for approximately one month, met with the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Mahend Gungapersad, on Monday 6 April.

The deployment is the result of close cooperation between the Mauritian government and the Chinese Embassy to strengthen language learning from a young age.

Strategic Educational Ties

Minister Gungapersad expressed his gratitude to the volunteers, noting that their efforts would be vital for students eyeing future academic opportunities abroad.

“I thank you on behalf of the country,” the Minister stated. “Many of our students attend universities in China; those who go there to study will be required to master the language.”

Language Skills and Deployment

The teachers are already stationed at various institutions throughout the country. While their primary focus is Modern Chinese, the cohort possesses strong linguistic versatility:

• All seventeen volunteers are fluent in English.
• Several members of the group also speak French.

The initiative is supported logistically by Mauritian authorities and the Chinese diplomatic mission.

Cultural Exchange

Beyond addressing the immediate teacher deficit, the programme is viewed as a significant step in deepening cultural exchanges between the two nations.

Officials suggest that introducing the language at the primary level provides pupils with a broader global perspective and a strategic advantage in an increasingly interconnected world.

Source: l’Express