ST Kevin’s College in Lisnaskea is set to become the first secondary school in Northern Ireland to visit China.
The group of 20 students will go for two weeks on the once-in-a-lifetime trip from November 11-25. In China, they will visit the Chinese capital, Beijing, for a week and the city of Hubei for a week, and will be part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Confucius Institute.
“We’ve been doing Mandarin lessons here for the past 11 years. All our year 8, 9, 10, 13 and 14 students are learning Mandarin Chinese each week,” St Kevin’s College Principal, Gary Kelly, said.
“We first started the lessons because it was a growing language and a growing country. Now China is a superpower in the world, so that we can teach our students the basics of the language is great.
“The programme is delivered by the Confucius Institute, who are promoting Chinese culture in schools across the world. They invited us out there to be part of the celebrations for the Confucius Institute’s 50th anniversary at Hubei University in Wuhan.
“We will be the first secondary school in Northern Ireland to visit China. The students are really buzzing at the thought of travelling out there. It will be a great experience for them.”
As part of the Confucius Institute’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the St Kevin’s students will put on a show of traditional Irish music and dance at the event’s gala dinner.
The group will also get the chance to see some of China’s most historic places on their travels such as Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China, the Summer Palace and the Three Gorges Dam.
“Every Monday our Mandarin teacher, Tingting Xu, comes from Belfast to teach the lessons. She’ll be accompanying us on the whole trip and will act as our translator,” Mr Kelly explained.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our students to learn and immerse themselves in Chinese culture.
“Our Mandarin programme has been thriving, and we have previously celebrated Chinese Culture Day in the school with fun activities and showcases of Chinese traditions.
“We couldn’t be more proud of our students’ achievements.”
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