The
first Confucius class in Madagascar was inaugurated on Friday at Le Petit Nid, a
private school in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo.
"The
Confucius class that we inaugurate today is simply the first Confucius class by
our institute and the first Confucius class in Madagascar," said the Chinese
director of Confucius Institute of Antananarivo University Chen Lijuan during
the inauguration.
"Because of the
sustained efforts and remarkable contribution of the school (Le Petit Nid) in
favor of the promotion of the Chinese language and culture in Madagascar, the
Confucius Institute headquarters gave its approval for the opening of a
Confucius class within the school on March 23, 2016," Mrs Chen
said.
Chinese courses were
introduced in the private school in 2013 with only 210 students. Since then, the
number of students studying Chinese in the school has increased to around 2,000
currently, according to school CEO, Sahoby Mampionona
Ramahafalisoa.