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Chinese Language Introduced in Saudi Schools

Students greeted Chinese language instructors with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently(X)
Students greeted Chinese language instructors with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently(X)
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Chinese Language Introduced in Saudi Schools

Students greeted Chinese language instructors with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently(X)
Students greeted Chinese language instructors with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently(X)

Schools across six Saudi educational regions—Riyadh, Yanbu, the Eastern Province, Jeddah, Jazan, and Tabuk—welcomed teachers from the People's Republic of China as part of the national project to introduce Chinese language instruction. This initiative aims to enrich students' linguistic and cultural diversity.

Starting this academic year, students will receive mandatory Chinese language lessons. However, grades in this subject will not impact students’ cumulative GPA, allowing them to learn the language without the pressure of traditional academic evaluation.

Chinese language lessons will be introduced to 57 schools in Riyadh, 41 in Jeddah, 25 in Jazan, and five in Khobar.

Maryam Al-Sari, principal of the Second Intermediate School in Sabya—one of the schools approved for Chinese language instruction in the Jazan Education Department—shared that the Chinese teacher began her duties on Monday.

To celebrate her arrival, the school staff organized a welcoming ceremony reflecting Saudi hospitality and culture.

Students greeted the teacher with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently. The day featured a unique blend of Saudi and Chinese educational experiences.

“From the start, we aimed to create a common ground between the students, school staff, and the Chinese teacher by forming a support team that includes an English teacher,” Al-Sari told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“We also educated the students on the importance of Saudi-China relations, which is a key goal of Vision 2030, and emphasized their role in showcasing Saudi cultural values."

One of the Chinese teachers joining schools in Jazan, was greeted with flowers, traditional Saudi coffee, and warm hospitality.

“I was thrilled to be welcomed by the students and the school staff. The reception was very warm and heartfelt, and I am grateful for the kindness I’ve experienced,” the teacher told Asharq Al-Awsat.

When asked about how Chinese teachers are chosen, the teacher revealed that they must first pass an exam, obtain a Chinese teaching certificate, and complete training abroad.

The Saudi Ministry of Education’s goal in bringing Chinese teachers to Saudi schools is to improve education through diverse teaching methods and cultural exchange.

This initiative aims to enhance students’ skills, promote better understanding between different cultures, and raise the overall quality of education.

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Culture

Amsterdam Honors its Own Golden Age Sculpture Master

Quellinus has been described as the Bernini of the North. Ramon van Flymen / ANP/AFP
Quellinus has been described as the Bernini of the North. Ramon van Flymen / ANP/AFP
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Amsterdam Honors its Own Golden Age Sculpture Master

Quellinus has been described as the Bernini of the North. Ramon van Flymen / ANP/AFP
Quellinus has been described as the Bernini of the North. Ramon van Flymen / ANP/AFP

Imposing but delicate marble sculptures of Graeco-Roman-style figures grace the vaulted corridors of a huge palace. But this isn't Florence or Rome. This is Amsterdam.

As part of celebrations to mark 750 years since the founding of the Dutch capital, the city is unveiling from Wednesday an exhibition dedicated to Artus Quellinus, the 17th century "sculptor of Amsterdam."

Virtually unknown outside Flanders in present-day Belgium where he made his name, the city has Quellinus to thank for the decorations on the Royal Palace that dominates the city's iconic Dam Square.

Quellinus "lifted our sculpture to a new level" with a fresh style, Dutch art historian Bieke van der Mark told AFP.

Born in Antwerp in 1606, Quellinus sculpted with marble, as well as ivory and clay.

His style, heavily influenced by Flemish baroque painter Reubens, was a complete novelty for the Protestant Netherlands, used to a more sober style at the time.

His subjects -- mythological figures, chubby angels, and animals -- are perhaps a nod to the great masters he would have seen while an apprentice in Rome.

"Like (17th century Italian master Gian Lorenzo) Bernini, he masters the way the flesh looks, and hands," said Van der Mark.

"It's really fantastic," said the 46-year-old, pointing to a statue of the Saturn devouring his son, whom he holds in his huge veiny hands.

Organized by the Amsterdam Royal Palace and the Rijksmuseum, this is the first-ever retrospective devoted to Quellinus, displaying more than 100 of his works from national and international collections.

"We spent quite some time to select and to collect, to bring together all these very special works... to show Quellinus at his best," said curator Liesbeth van Noortwijk.

"Because I think he's an artist that deserves that."

"We dare to call him the Bernini of the North... And I think this is no exaggeration," she told AFP.

The decorations of Amsterdam's Royal Palace, built as a town hall between 1648 and 1665, remains Quellinus's statement work, with an iconic figure on the roof of Atlas bearing the world on his shoulders.

Now, nearly 400 years on, the city hopes the show will raise awareness of the hitherto unrecognized "sculptor of Amsterdam."