Western Heights High School-- 孔子课堂在新西兰“地热城”开班

English Version

New Confucius Classroom Opening at Western Heights High School, Rotorua

“The future of our young generations is related to China. We need to develop our language ability to better understand China, including Chinese culture and the Chinese people, to enable New Zealand students to adjust to this globalised world,” said Western Heights High School Deputy Principal at its Confucius Classroom opening ceremony on 3 March.

Rotorua, located in the North Island of New Zealand, has geothermal energy, hot pools and Maori culture, attracting many Chinese tourists to the North Island. They are all keen to experience Maori culture which is unique and so different from their home culture. Chinese has become an important language in Rotorua. Not only do travel agencies and souvenir shops advertise in Chinese, students from Western Heights High School sing the most beautiful Chinese songs.

On 3 March the new Confucius Classroom at this school, supported by The Confucius Institute at Victoria University of Wellington, was officially inaugurated. The bronze board stating 'Confucius Classroom' hangs on the Wall of Honours in the school’s reception hall, along with school emblems and photographs of outstanding students. The Classroom is brightly decorated with Chinese paper cuts, books, Chinese drums and abacuses. Parents are consulting teachers on how the Confucius Classroom would work.

The staff at Western Heights said that the Confucius Institute provided students with great opportunities to improve their language ability so that they could be more competitive in the global job market.

Education Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand, Mr Chen Yue, said during the inauguration that currently there were many New Zealand students studying Chinese and some of them had gained remarkable achievements in the 'Chinese Bridge' speech competition at different levels. He thought it was timely to further promote the study of the Chinese Language in New Zealand.

Ms Laytee George, a Chinese teacher at Western Heights High School, has been teaching Chinese in Rotorua for 18 years. She told the reporter that she remembered at the very beginning, Chinese classes were held only during weekends and most students were New Zealand-Chinese. Now there are 13 schools in Rotorua offering Chinese classes and more and more students are becoming interested in this language. When it came to the motivation of students to learn Chinese, she suggested that many students were interested to travel to China to study or, eventually, to work there. She really hoped that the Confucius Classroom would help students further with their Chinese learning.

CI VUW team (from left: Deputy Director Yang Xiaoqing, Director Wen Powles, Chairman Tony Browne, with Chinese Embassy Education Counsellor Chen Yue (far left) and Second Secretary Sun Yunpeng (far right) at the opening of Western Heights High School’s new Confucius Classroom in Rotorua on 3 March 2016.

Western Heights High School Deputy Principal Kahira Morris gave a speech at the Confucius Classroom opening ceremony on 3 March.

Following the Confucius Classroom opening, Rororua Mayor Steve Chadwick hosted a celebratory reception at Rotorua Lakes Council.

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