Confucius Institute at VUW welcomes 21 Mandarin Language Assistants (MLAs) from China to work in 30 primary, intermediate and secondary schools in lower North Island.

On Monday 17 February, the Confucius Institute at VUW welcomes 21 Mandarin Language Assistants (MLAs) newly arrived from China to work in 30 primary, intermediate and secondary schools in Wellington, Wanganui, the Waiarapa and the Bay of Plenty, as well as at Victoria University and IPC in Palmerston North. The MLAs, 19 new and two returning, will take part in a one-week orientation programme in Wellington that includes an introduction to the NZ education system, presentations by Chinese teachers in NZ, school visits, guided tours of Parliament and Te Papa, and a special reception hosted by the Ambassador and the Education Counselor at the Chinese Embassy. The MLAs will assist with the Chinese teaching programmes at their host schools until December 2014. The VUW Confucius Institute will monitor their progress and provide them with on-going support throughout the year.

The programme, supported by the Chinese and NZ Ministries of Education and coordinated by the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing (Hanban), started at Victoria University with three MLAs in 2012. The number grew to 12 in 2013. The accumulative achievements of the MLAs are astounding: in 2013, the MLAs offered a total of 175 Chinese language classes to 3,593 primary, intermediate, high school and tertiary students. The VUW Confucius Institute is working closely with local schools and other educational institutions to ensure the continuing success of the programme.

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