Angie Motshekga SHI GANG

Education is the backbone of a country's development and described by Nelson Mandela as the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. It was therefore no surprise that after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited South Africa in early 2013, the two developing countries issued a joint communique confirming they would continue to expand cooperation in basic and tertiary education.

In light of this expanded bilateral cooperation in the education field, Angie Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education of South Africa, visited China in late February. During her visit, she sat down with ChinAfrica reporter Ni Yanshuo to share her views on educational cooperation between the two countries. 

ChinAfrica: After the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000, educational cooperation between China and African countries has witnessed rapid growth, especially in recent years. How do you see educational cooperation between China and South Africa over the last few years?

Angie Motshekga: I think the educational cooperation between our two countries is growing comparatively. For instance, there are already six Confucius Institutes [and Confucius Classrooms] in South Africa, which proves there's lots of interest in South Africa to learn the Chinese language and culture. This is mainly because of the friendship that has developed between our two countries, as well as in terms of agreements that we signed.

There's lot of interest, not just on the language and cultural part, but [lots of African countries] are also looking at how we can improve our capabilities in terms of both educational outcomes and skills. Furthermore, there's lots of interest in working with China on educational exchange programs, exchange of skills and expertise, both at high academic levels, and even at the school level. 

In March 2013, China's Ministry of Education and South Africa's Department of Basic Education signed a cooperation agreement on basic education. You also witnessed the signing of the action plan of this agreement. Why are education cooperation and exchange so important at this time and how can this improve people's understandings of each other?

Educational cooperation between our two countries is really important. Last year, we signed a cooperation agreement on basic education. But we have not activated the agreement in terms of having specific projects to implement the plan.

Today, the idea was to expand our working relationships with organizations like the Confucious Institutes, making sure they expand in South Africa , or expand the teaching of Chinese in South African schools, therefore making Chinese one of the languages learned, so that children can learn Chinese as a course. They can study Chinese like other languages such as French, German, and also Portuguese. We can make sure that Chinese is learned by young people in our schools. The whole idea was to come [to China] and do the implementation of the plan that we'd agreed on, in relation to the exchange of teachers and academics. It is very fortunate for us as South Africa, and China also, to show that we can now begin to have concrete projects that myself and the [education] minister of China can complete and make sure that they are realized. 

Are there many South African universities that teach Chinese?

Currently there are only six centers that teach Chinese, whereas the idea is to make the Chinese language accessible in South Africa for anyone who wants to learn it, through formal and informal institutions and schools; but there must also be agencies outside the Confucius Institutes.

Do you think the educational exchange between China and South Africa can improve people-to-people contact or people's understandings of each other?

Undoubtedly it can. I mean, I'm appreciating that South Africans can speak your language. Because of the growth of the Chinese population in South Africa, some stay there while some are on business. We still hope that there will be a lot of investment from Chinese people in South Africa and vice versa.

So it's really important that we understand each other's language and each other's value system, so that we can really respect each other. 

What are the features of the South African education system that attracts Chinese students?

Our educational system is uneven, with elements of our system being extremely advanced. Our Western medical studies, engineering, and tertiary education are very advanced, and we compete with other countries internationally [in these fields]. So there's lots of Western academic programs that you [China] can benefit from.

Our language institutions have an advanced system should Chinese children want to go and study English. Our schooling system is not as advanced as China's and China has a better system at the schooling level. That is where, as a country, we think that we can gain a lot in terms of China's basic schooling system.

China excels in international tests on math and science, so we really can learn a lot in South Africa. China runs a very big system, and I think China is running it well. The curriculum in China is also good for us as a developing country. In South Africa, our schools are 80 percent normal schools and 20 percent technical schools, whereas here, in China, it's 50/50. Consequently, there's lot that we can share at a schooling level, as well as at a tertiary level. 

According to the agreements made by Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma in 2013, this year is the Year of South Africa in China and the next year will be the Year of China in South Africa. Are there going to be any education-based activities taking place during these years?

I think that's one of the reasons why I'm here, to make sure that there are specific projects that we have as part of the plan. There are some projects which the officials in our embassy will have to finalize. There will be study visits where we send delegations to come and study the education system, and vice versa. Those are some of the concrete things we've agreed on as part of the education implementation of the plan.

As you have said before, there are six Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in South Africa. How do you see their roles in promoting education exchanges between our two countries?

Yes, those institutes help us as an anchor [providing a starting point]. There's some interest that they [Confucius Institutes and Classrooms] are in the country [South Africa], and we can say they're seeds. For me, they're very important institutions where we can anchor the implementation of some of the plans [we have, to develop education exchange]. [So] We have Chinese people who are already in South Africa, who understand the country's systems.