TEACHING CHINESE
SIR,—Mr. Fairlie noted that the Annan Committee recommended that Russian should be offered in the early stages of the curriculum in as many secondarY schools as possible. Some of us in Hong Kong, conscious of the flexing muscles of our enormous neighbour across the border, consider that more thought should be given to the teaching of Chinese in schools in Britain. AlreadY Australian schools are including Mandarin in their curricula; whilst future generation Australians have a greater practical need for a knowledge 0, Chinese, if only because of their closer geographiel proximity to China and countries with large Chirter minorities, there is surely no question that a wiule„ knowledge of Chinese among British people is goin° to be not only desirable, but necessary, if we are going( to achieve a greater understanding of this country over 600,000,000 people.
Villa Anna, Stanley, Hong Kong
EDGAR MAO
Previous page
