Twenty participants recently passed the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL), including 11 students from St. Joseph’s Convent (SJC), 2 from St. Mary’s College (SMC), and 7 officials from the public service. The Test was held on Thursday, August 14, 2025.
The Mandarin Pioneer Program has been successfully implemented at St. Joseph’s Convent, St. Mary’s Convent, and Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School over the past four years with the support of the Ministry of Education. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Service, Mandarin courses have been organized with the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC).
Currently, three Mandarin teachers are attached to Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) in Saint Lucia, namely Ms. Weili Hsu and Mr. Andres Chi in the north, and Ms. Yuchin Peng in the south. Previously, Ms. Nana Lin was art of the team.
Mandarin is the official language in Taiwan, but it is more than just a language; it also opens the door to a vast job market in all countries where Mandarin is the language used in commerce. Mandarin typically requires at least two years of study to be able to reach the TOCFL standard. So far, most secondary students in the Mandarin Pioneer Program have completed only one year, and it is hoped that by this time next year, many Form 2 students will sit the TOCFL exams and receive their certificates.
During a certificate presentation ceremony that was held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, in the Assembly Hall at St. Joseph’s Convent to recognize the participants, H.E. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, explained why the Taiwan Technical Mission employs multiple Mandarin teachers.
“It is because Mandarin is very different from English and Creole; it is a completely different language system, so you may say that it is not easy to learn for an English speaker,” Ambassador Su said. “Therefore, to those who chose to learn Mandarin and even sit this exam, I’d like to commend you for your interest and commitment.”
Ambassador Su told the participants that by learning the traditional writing system is different from the simplified system. She added that once they are knowledgeable about the traditional Chinese characters being taught by the Mandarin teachers, it would be much easier for them to read the text as old as 2,500 years ago. She noted that learning languages is one of the best ways to understand other cultures and broaden one’s perspectives, as it also opens new doors of opportunities for one’s future.
Ambassador Su congratulated the participants for making the wise investment in themselves by learning Mandarin. She thanked Mrs. Rosaria Auguste, Principal of St. Joseph’s Convent, for hosting the certificate ceremony. She also thanked the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Service, Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, St. Joseph’s Convent, St. Mary’s College, Vieux Fort Comprehensive, and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College for their continued support in promoting Mandarin education.
Mr. Kendall Khodra, Permanent Secretary in the Department of Education, Innovation and Vocational Training, said the participants’ remarkable achievement reflects not only their academic effort, but also their willingness to embrace new challenges and new cultures. He said learning a language as complex as Mandarin requires discipline, patience and persistence, qualities that will serve them well throughout their professional and personal journeys. The ceremony, he added, was not just about distributing certificates.
Khodra said the Ministry of Education continues to prioritize initiatives such as this one to prepare citizens to operate confidently on the global stage. He urged Neal Mr. Fontenelle, President of the National Principals Association, to rally other colleague principals to expand the Mandarin language to all secondary schools.
Khodra thanked the Government of Taiwan for their unwavering support and partnership, noting that their investment in the youth, continued investment, and continued support for students and professionals demonstrate a genuine commitment to education, cultural exchange and friendship between our peoples.
“Through your assistance, we are equipping a new generation of citizens with the skills to break linguistic and cultural divides, strengthening not just individual capacities, but the bond between our nations,” he said.
Mr. Neal Fontenelle, who is also Principal of St. Mary’s College, said the benefits of the Mandarin programme are multifaceted because not only do students get an opportunity to be multilingual, but they are also paving the way to gain admission into universities in Taiwan, giving them a very good advantage since they already have the foundation of the language.
Fontenelle said that over the years, his school’s relationship with the Taiwanese has been great, with three Taiwanese volunteers being based there, and highlighted how they incorporate and assimilate themselves among the school staff.
In her remarks, Mrs. Rosaria Auguste, Principal of St. Joseph’s Convent Secondary School, said learning foreign languages enables people to thrive in an increasingly in interconnected world: “We look forward to the continued collaboration with the Republic of China (Taiwan) as together we nurture globally minded and culturally aware young persons. Congratulations to our students. May this achievement inspire you to continue learning and exploring the world around you.”