KARACHI: The Sindh education department on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chinese education department of Sichuan province of China for their cooperation in teaching the Chinese language in schools of Sindh.

The ceremony was held in the committee room of the Sindh Assembly and the MoU was signed by Sindh Education Secretary Dr Fazalullah Pechucho and Liu Dong, vice directorgeneral of the education department of China. Sindh Senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Consul General of China Ma Yaou and other officials also attended the ceremony.

According to the MoU, the teaching of Chinese would be made compulsory from class six onwards in all schools of Sindh within three years. Students learning the language will get extra marks, scholarships and foreign visit opportunities for education and skills training in China for those students who would pass Chinese as a subject till matriculationand higher classes.

Education Minister Nisar Khuhro said that making the teaching of Chinese compulsory was aimed at promoting Chinese language and culture in Pakistan as `we have over the years maintained long-lasting culture and economic relations in China` He said the teaching of the Chinese language required special training of teachers, students, scholars, administration and other staff which would be done on an exchange basis while scholarships will be awarded for learning Chinese from educational institutions in China.Afterwards these people would act as master trainers to teach the language in Sindh`s schools.

The minister also said that in order to carry out and fulfil the goals of the MoU the additional secretary of the Sindh education department, Rehan Baloch, and the director of the education department of Sichuan would be the co-coordinators in the development and management of joint activities. Both parties may initiate proposals for activities and negotiate expenses issues under the MoU through the co-coordinators. If thereare to be any amendments in the clauses of the MoU, they may be amended through the mutual agreement for both parties.

He said the education departments of Sindh and China would develop educational cooperation and exchange based on equality and mutual benefits and the activities carried out must be in accordance with the rules of the respective countries.

It was also said that a cultural centre of the Chinese language would be established in Karachi to monitor the project in the province.