CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE

The Hon. L. STEVENS (Little Para) (15:33): Last week, I was pleased to be invited to attend the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Professor James McWha, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, and the Minister for Education, on behalf of the government, in relation to a cooperation between the Minister for Education for South Australia and the University of Adelaide, through its Confucius Institute. Members might remember that, as the ambassador for the institute, I have spoken about the Confucius Institute on a number of occasions.

It was good to be part of a very important milestone. This agreement sets down the understandings between the two parties in relation to the support of both Chinese and non-Chinese background students not only to learn and maintain Chinese language skills but also in terms of the promulgation of the culture and cultural understanding between China and Australia.

The MOU states that the institute will provide input into the implementation of DECS quality Chinese language and cultural studies programs for teachers, principals and school communities in South Australia, with a specific focus on developing language proficiency, cultural awareness and understanding, and language teaching methodologies of teachers of Chinese language.

The MOU indicates a number of areas where the institute will cooperate with DECS, including planning South Australian government school staff training and support; the facilitation of Chinese-related professional and community organisations being able to work cooperatively to support Chinese language and culture study in South Australian government schools and also to provide input on resources for teachers to support the teaching and learning of the Chinese language in South Australian government schools; and, finally, to identify and assist with the facilitation of other initiatives for the promotion and teaching of the Chinese language in South Australian government schools.

For her part, the minister agreed that DECS would have the responsibility for South Australian government school staff training and support with regard to Chinese language teaching methodologies. They agreed to promote and disseminate information provided by the institute regarding professional learning opportunities to South Australian government schools run by the institute, to facilitate mentoring arrangements in South Australian government schools for students from the University of Adelaide undertaking programs leading towards becoming Chinese language teachers, and they agreed to seek the institute's input on initiatives for the promotion and teaching of the Chinese language in South Australian government schools.

There are currently 5,960 students learning the Chinese language and culture in 50 state schools in South Australia, and there are, of course, more students learning in non-government schools. The importance of the agreement means that two very important players in all this have agreed to work together and to focus their energies jointly towards some very positive outcomes in terms of the teaching and understanding of the Chinese language and culture.

I congratulate both parties, and particularly Professor Mobo Gao, the director of the Confucius Institute, for coming to this point and for the work that they have done in their first year of operation. I look forward to some very interesting and innovative initiatives in the coming year.