Possibility of Adding Chinese Language to Foreign Language Curriculum in Iranian Schools
Ali Mohebbian, head of the Curriculum Planning Department of Iran’s Research Institute for Education Planning and Development, said on Sunday that there is a possibility of adding Chinese and Arabic languages to the list of foreign languages taught in Iranian schools.
In an interview with ISNA news agency, he stated: “In the national curriculum and resolutions of the Supreme Council, teaching English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian languages has been approved and officially recognized.”
Regarding the proposal raised by the former head of the research organization for adding a new language such as Chinese and Arabic to the optional list of foreign language instruction last year, Mohebbian said: “Certainly, when we talk about foreign languages, if there is another official international foreign language, we should add it to the list of approved languages.”
Mohebbian continued: “There is a possibility that discussion of other foreign languages may be seriously raised for next year as well.”
Officials of the Islamic Republic have previously expressed dissatisfaction with Iranians’ enthusiasm for learning English. This is the first time that the discussion of teaching Chinese language in Iranian schools is being seriously raised.
The Leader of the Islamic Republic in 2016 criticized the promotion of English language in Iranian educational institutions, saying that “things have reached a point where English language instruction has been extended to kindergartens.”
English language is not part of Iran’s formal curriculum for the six-year primary education period. However, various private, semi-public, and a small portion of public schools teach English as an extracurricular subject to students, and these classes are not mandatory.
Following Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks, the Ministry of Education banned the teaching of English language in primary schools.
Afterward, in September of last year, 57 representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, referring to the statements of the Leader of the Islamic Republic, submitted an urgent bill for removing English language courses from all Iranian schools.
If this bill is approved by parliament, English language instruction would be removed from schools and conducted only in free language institutes under the supervision of the ministry.
The bill also prohibited the employment of English language teachers by the Ministry of Education. However, this bill was not approved.
Source: Radio Farda
