Abdulrahman Kanoo School Diyar (ARKS) proudly marked a historic milestone with the official opening of its Youth Chinese Test (YCT) Examination Room, established in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Bahrain. ARKS falls under one of two schools within the Abdulrahman Kanoo Education Group (ARKEDU), and remains for its third year being the only school in Bahrain to offer Mandarin from Nursery to Year 9.

The inauguration ceremony, held on Thursday, June 12, was attended by distinguished guests including ARKEDU Managing Director, and Dr. Hessa Jassim Al-Junaid, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Local Director of the Confucius Institute.

Being innovative and thought leaders, this significant achievement makes ARKS the first school in the Kingdom to launch a dedicated YCT Examination Room for Level 1, providing a structured, on-campus platform for young learners to officially assess their Mandarin language proficiency through an internationally recognised examination.

“The establishment of the YCT Examination Room reflects the school’s commitment to nurturing global citizens and aligns seamlessly with its core values of Aspirational, Respect, Kindness, Excellence, Uniqueness, and Diversity”, notes ARKEDU Chairman Mr Tariq Abdullatif Jasmin Kanoo.

The school successfully hosted its first official YCT Level 1 exam, with enthusiastic participation from ARKS students. The examination was conducted under the guidance and coordination of the Confucius Institute, further cementing the collaborative efforts between both institutions to advance cultural and language education in Bahrain.

Dr. Hessa Jassim Al-Junaid, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Local Director of the Confucius Institute, praised the initiative, stating:

“This partnership marks a transformative step in promoting Mandarin language education in Bahrain. By establishing a dedicated YCT Examination Room, ARKS demonstrates its visionary approach and commitment to cultivating cultural fluency and academic excellence among its students. We are proud to support this milestone and look forward to continued collaboration that bridges linguistic and cultural understanding.”

“We are honored to lead the way in offering our students the opportunity to gain formal recognition in Mandarin language proficiency,” Noted ARKEDU Group COO (ARKIS & ARKS) Dr. Julie sprakel. “This initiative not only enhances our academic offerings but also reflects our vision of preparing students for a diverse and interconnected world. It has been a privilege to collaborate with Confucius Institute at the University of Bahrain over the last three years and successfully launch of the YCT Examination Room, which underscores ARKS dedication to educational innovation and global engagement, setting a new benchmark for language instruction in the region.”