The New Zealand Ministry of Education has allocated a fund of NZ$10m to support teaching of Asian languages in secondary schools across the country.
The Asian Language Learning in School (ALLiS) programme launched this month and aims to increase second language learning focusing on Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
“New Zealand needs to increase the number of students learning Asian languages to support our growing trade and international relationships with key Asian countries”
“China, Japan and Korea are amongst our top five trading partners but the number of students learning these languages in our schools is relatively low compared to other international languages,” Education New Zealand said in a statement.
“As well as learning our national and official languages (English, Te Reo Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language), and Pasifika languages, New Zealand needs to increase the number of students learning Asian languages to support our growing trade and international relationships with key Asian countries.”
According to Education New Zealand, in 2013, only two secondary schools offered Korean, fewer than 40 schools offered Mandarin Chinese, while Japanese was offered by 160 secondary schools.
The government will provide start-up funding for new programmes as well as back existing initiatives in up to 90 schools or clusters of schools.
Funds will also be allocated to support collaboration with external (non-school) Asian cultural and language organisations.
Funding will be distributed in two tranches beginning in 2016 and ending in 2018. Programmes are expected to continue fully self-sustained once funding is finished.
