The Chinese Cultural Centre in collaboration with the China Graduates? Association and the Mandarin Teachers? Association organised a prize-giving ceremony for the best candidates in Mandarin in CPE, SC and HSC (2007). The ceremony started with the traditional lion-dance last Sunday in the newly hall of Chinese Cultural Centre at Bell Village. Ministers Dharam Gokhool ( Education), Sylvio Tang (Youth and Sports), Guo Yue Chen, ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Lucien Finette, director of MES, and other personalities were present for the occasion.

The president of China Graduates' Association, How Chin Fat welcomed and congratulated the prize-winners, their parents and their teachers. Language is at the basis of all human progress, he pointed out. Chinese civilisation is one of the oldest and through the language we discover the exquisite beauty of its culture. He thanked both the Government of Mauritius and the Chinese Embassy for providing the environment and the tools for the flowering of Chinese Culture.

After conveying his condolences to the victims of the earthquake in China, he congratulated the teachers, parents and pupils for their efforts in mandarin. With globalisation, parents must encourage their wards to learn a third language. He also announced that two model schools in terms of architecture and amenities would be built in 2009 at Albion and Belle-Mare with the help of the Chinese government and the setting-up of an Institute of Confucius teaching to be incorporated with the University of Mauritius. He thanked the People's Republic of China for their help, not only in education but also in other sectors like economy, medicine, sports and others. He marvelled at the new Chinese Cultural Centre, a jewel in the architectural landscape. Minister Tang reminded the youth that rewards come only with hard work and expressed his immense joy that so many non-Chinese enrol for Mandarin courses.

Ambassador Guo Yue Chen thanked the government and the people of Mauritius for their sympathy after the quake. Discovering the beauty of mandarin leads to know the history of China. With French and English, our youth will have a promising future if they master Mandarin as a third language. He announced that there would be an additional scholarship in one of China?s most prestigious universities for the best HSC candidate in Mandarin. The youth bears the torch of hope for a nation and will be the ambassadors of Chinese culture.

One by one, the successful candidates were then called on the stage to receive their prizes. The Mandarin teachers of the successful candidates were also awarded prizes.

<B>Philip LI CHING HUM</B>