Adviser paid by Chinese government to oversee Leaving Cert language course

An adviser paid by the Chinese government is to have an oversight role in the new Leaving Certificate subject of Mandarin Chinese as part of an agreement between the Department of Education and its counterpart in Beijing.

The adviser may also, according to the MOU, teach modules on master-level teacher education courses, assist with the preparation of the Leaving Cert exam papers, and consider how a teacher exchange programme with China might be established.According to the MOU, the department will ensure that the adviser and the Chinese teachers do “not organise or attend any activities that conflict with this MOU”. It is not clear from the MOU what this clause means.

“Given the importance the Chinese give to the teaching of their ideological understanding of the world and the role they see education having in the construction of their worldview, then [the MOU] is problematic,” he said., of Fianna Fáil, said it was a good thing that young Irish people were learning about Chinese history and culture. However, the department would have to ensure that the arrangement with China was not used as a “propaganda tool” by the Chinese, he said.

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Academics ‘wary’ of Chinese government role in Leaving Cert MandarinAn adviser paid by the Chinese government is to have an oversight role in the new Leaving Certificate subject of Mandarin Chinese as part of an agreement between the Department of Education and its counterpart in Beijing Is this madness? “Chinese government is to have an oversight role in the new Leaving Certificate subject” There should be more public debate on this. It seems a complex arrangement. I’d like to see more on the MoU, the Dept’s engagement and the expertise consulting on the agreement. This is not good.
Source: IrishTimes - 🏆 3. / 98 Read more »