Why we introduced Chinese language in public schools – Fashola

Governor Babatunde Fashola has justified the reason for the introduction of Chinese Language into Lagos State public schools’ syllabus, saying “it is an economic decision from the government.”

Fashola who spoke at the third edition of the youth stakeholders’ forum and the graduation of over 900 trainees under the Lagos Ignite Enterprise Employability Project III, held at the 10 Degrees Event Centre at Oregun, Ikeja, added that it would enhance the commercial skills of the pupils who will be the next generation of businessmen in the state.

He said that the decision was taken to prosper the country’s economy especially Lagos State, adding; “it was also based on the inroads that China is making in the global economy through industrialisation.

According to him, “It is an economic decision. And the debate is now in the public domain. The China Economy is ranked among the first five economies today. They have started doing business in Nigeria and many African countries.

“And there is need for us to understand that if we must engage countries with such economic potentials, we must learn their language urgently, if they (Chinese) can learn our local language with ease,” Fashola added.

He said in Lagos for example, Government often finds it difficult to get Nigerians who can act as interpreters even at contract vetting sessions which often leave the state with the choice of employing Chinese to act as interpreters of documents prepared by the Chinese.

The Governor, however, said that learning Mandarin as the Chinese language is called, is not compulsory but optional for the pupils.

Fashola noted that in the past, “our parents learnt Latin before it became a dying language in the country. And when they discovered that the French economy has great potentials and possibilities, they began to learn their language and abandoned Latin. This was made easier with the influx of French companies in the country.”

On whether it would affect pupils from speaking the local language, the governor explained; “The responsibility for teaching local language lies at home. Parents should speak their mother tongue to their children. Leave them, when they get to school they will learn how to speak English.

He lamented the attitude of parents in the state, saying “we have become too English that we do not speak our local languages at home anymore. This is the internal change and internal value.”