By Bida Elly David
China is ready to support South Sudanese education system, particularly in the area of language development.
Director General of Chinese Agency for International Economic Cooperation, Kong De Yun, disclosed on Saturday.
Yun was speaking during inspection visit to Chinese Language Training Centre at Juba Day Secondary School.
The Chinese Language Centre provides free knowledge to South Sudanese, willing to undertake short training on Chinese language.
It is a one-classroom scope that offers two to three months of basic education for beginners and graduates, after ensuring improvement.
First batch of trainees have graduated while the second batch is still under training, accompanied by enrollment of phase three after graduation.
“It is a good move that the government of South Sudan is focused on developing a strategy to promote education,” Yun said.
He noted that the People’s Republic of China has been working with many countries in support of education programmes, saying they have chosen South Sudan as one of the targets.
“We have been working with many countries in the world, providing them with items for learning; thus, we are ready to support South Sudan,” he underscored.
Kong expressed joy to see more South Sudanese with a desire to undertake training in the Chinese language.
“According to the United Agency report, learning Chinese is not as easy as learning English, but I am proud that South Sudanese are too quick to adopt the language,” he underscored.
Furthermore, he called on South Sudanese who are willing to undertake studies abroad, particularly in China, to learn the language as a mechanism to interact culturally and attain academics.
He appreciated the government of South Sudan for having chosen China as a country of cooperation in various areas.
“Chinese Language and Culture has been a very amazing pleasure, so we will continue with the teaching programme of the Chinese language in South Sudan,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Kuyok Abol Kuyok, the undersecretary at the National Ministry of General Education and Instructions, appreciated the government of China for offering free Chinese language training to the people of South Sudan.
“The friendship between South Sudan and China is very old; this small classroom can deepen and strengthen the relationship but also create opportunities for South Sudanese to engage in foreign diplomacy,” said Kuyok.
He urged the language project implementers to not only consider Juba as the only centre but also extend the training to other schools, saying the demand to learn the language is very high.
“We need to study this language at a very advanced level; we need more classrooms, one for beginners, another for intermediates, and another for advanced,” he suggested.
Furthermore, Mr. Kuyok urged the Chinese Language Centre to consider taking some South Sudanese to China, basically to learn the language for cultural interaction.
On her part, Li Ying, a Chinese senior project officer, said China has been embarking heavily on the infrastructural, engineering, and medical sectors in South Sudan, saying it’s high time for them to invest in education.
George Kenyi, the headmaster of Juba Day Secondary School, commended the Ministry of General Education and China for having decided to teach the Chinese language to the citizens.
He said the initiative will not only end with learning the language but will also build cultural cohesion between the two countries.
“It is through language that the world is peaceful and culturally built; this cultural cooperation with China should continue so that the two countries become one,” Keny stated.
According to him, a number of students who undertook the language training can speak Chinese with much confidence and competence.