Plans to expand the capacity of Mandarin language teaching and learning in NSW public schools took a great leap forward this term when a group of volunteer Chinese university graduates began work in Western Sydney region schools.

Western Sydney regional director Lindsay Wasson said seven graduates from five universities based in Ningbo would work voluntarily in more than 20 primary and secondary schools within the region over the next 18 months to assist non-Chinese-background speaking students to learn Mandarin.

The program was established as part of a memorandum of understanding signed last year between Western Sydney region and Ningbo Municipal Education Bureau to equip NSW public school students with the language and cultural skills to communicate with the world’s fastest growing economic power.

“This is one of the great opportunities to position our education provision for the world … where China will be the dominant economic power,” Mr Wasson said.

“It’s crucial that we have understandings about China and certain facility with the language to help our young people engage successfully in the economic life of the next couple of decades.”

Over the next five years up to 50 volunteer graduates from Ningbo will participate in the program with the possibility of extending the agreement for a further five years. The next group of graduates are scheduled to arrive in Western Sydney region in June 2009. Mr Wasson said the graduates would work on a community of schools model that would support continuity and sequencing of language learning between primary schools and their partner high school.

During their stay the graduates would study for a master of education at the University of Western Sydney and attend a 13-week course, running over three hours a week, that focused on the methodology for teaching Mandarin to non-background speakers, designed in partnership with the curriculum directorate K-12.