The Cave Hill Campus is exploring the training of local and regional teachers to teach Chinese language and culture.

So said Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Eudine Barriteau, during remarks at the second annual Confucius Institute Lecture, held at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination (EBCCI) last Monday evening.

“It has become apparent that we must rapidly increase the cadre of local teachers, and by local, I mean Barbadian and Caribbean teachers, of Chinese language and culture,” she stated. “I am therefore pleased to announce that in the months ahead, the Cave Hill Campus will continue to explore options with partners in China for further cooperation in areas such as enrolling more students to study in China, overseas Chinese Teachers’ training programs, teacher certification in the teaching of Chinese, promoting joint degree programs, facilitating student and teacher exchanges between universities, curriculum development, the local development of teaching materials, cooperation in research and the holding of cultural exchange activities and international forums, which are all expected to create many benefits for both sides. I have held very fruitful discussions in this regard with Vice President of the Beijing Language and Culture University, President Zhang Baojun.”

Barriteau noted that this would be one of the many ways that the Institute would be at the forefront expanding the scope of the region’s connection with China. Months ahead of the celebration of its fourth year of establishment, the Confucius Institute has scored several major achievements, including the introduction of a minor in Chinese in the Faculty of Humanities and Education, the creation of a Chinese language and culture programme at the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity (BIMAP), as well as classes in some of the island’s primary and secondary schools.

“At the regional level, the CI at the Cave Hill Campus has assisted the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) with the development of the curriculum for the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC), the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) certification in Mandarin which is expected to provide access for every school child between the ages of 11-18 in eighteen (18) Caribbean territories to a course of study leading to certification in Chinese,” the Principal added.