Sierra Leone to Integrate Chinese Language into Public Schools

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Tuesday, October 28th, 2025

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Sources Xinhua
FREETOWN, October 28 (Xinhua) – Sierra Leone’s Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Conrad Sackey, has announced plans to introduce Chinese language learning into the country’s public school curriculum as part of a broader effort to enhance global competitiveness and educational inclusivity.
Speaking in an interview with Xinhua, Sackey said the decision follows extensive discussions with representatives from the Confucius Institute, which has supported Chinese language education in Sierra Leone for more than 13 years.
“Today’s world is increasingly interconnected, and proficiency in Chinese opens doors to significant career opportunities, business ventures, and international cooperation,” Sackey said. He emphasized the growing importance of Mandarin as a bridge for cultural exchange and economic engagement with one of the world’s leading economies.
The minister highlighted that several private schools in Sierra Leone have already integrated Chinese into their curricula, yielding positive results. He stressed the need to extend this opportunity to students in public schools, ensuring equal access to valuable language skills across all education sectors.
“To guarantee inclusivity, every child in our nation—regardless of their school—should benefit from learning Chinese,” he stated.
Sackey revealed that a strategic meeting will be held in the first week of November to coordinate the project. The meeting will bring together the teachers’ union, education officials, and Confucius Institute representatives to design a national implementation strategy aimed at making Chinese language education accessible in schools nationwide.
He also praised the success of Sierra Leonean students already studying Chinese, citing a pupil from Fourah Bay College Primary School who represented the country at the World Chinese Language Competition Finals in Beijing earlier this year.
“This success story demonstrates the potential of our students and inspires us to strengthen our commitment to global education,” Sackey concluded.