A CAMPAIGN for an end to the occupation of Tibet has raised concerns about a scheme that supports the learning of Chinese language and culture.
Free Tibet has sent a letter to education minister John O'Dowd, demanding that the Executive takes action to prevent Chinese-sponsored classrooms in the north being used for propaganda purposes.
There are eight Confucius Classroom Hubs across the north which work to promote Chinese language and culture to young people.
The hubs are part of the Confucius Institute (CI) at Ulster University (UU), which also facilitates the training of language teachers, cultural and academic exchanges and research into China's education system, economy, the arts and society.
The CIs, which are affiliated with the Ministry of Education in China, also appear to have non-academic goals. Li Changchun, a high-ranking member of the Communist Party was quoted in The Economist saying they were "an important part of China's overseas propaganda set-up". This has been seized upon by critics as evidence of a politicised mission.
In its letter to Mr O'Dowd, Free Tibet said it was concerned the Executive appeared to have offered the programme an unreserved welcome.
"A secondary school pupil who studies China and is taught nothing about its occupation of Tibet, its denial of freedom to its own citizens and its appalling human rights record is receiving propaganda instead of education," said Alistair Currie of Free Tibet.
"The Executive, however, has chosen to ignore this risk and instead rolled out the red carpet to the programme."
The Department of Education confirmed it had received the letter and would respond in due course.
"Many schools have availed of Confucius Classrooms to enable their students to benefit from learning about Chinese culture and language," a spokeswoman said.
"As a department, we are aware of the benefits that learning an additional language can bring to pupils. DE also believes this scheme is one way that schools can promote tolerance and understanding among their students of those from different ethnic backgrounds."
UU said the classrooms focused entirely on the teaching of Chinese language and culture, and were subject to the standard academic controls, both in terms of the approval of the content of the teaching and the practical delivery of programmes.
