The first Confucius class in Madagascar was inaugurated on Friday at Le Petit Nid, a private school in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo.

"The Confucius class that we inaugurate today is simply the first Confucius class by our institute and the first Confucius class in Madagascar," said the Chinese director of Confucius Institute of Antananarivo University Chen Lijuan during the inauguration.

"Because of the sustained efforts and remarkable contribution of the school (Le Petit Nid) in favor of the promotion of the Chinese language and culture in Madagascar, the Confucius Institute headquarters gave its approval for the opening of a Confucius class within the school on March 23, 2016," Mrs Chen said.

Chinese courses were introduced in the private school in 2013 with only 210 students. Since then, the number of students studying Chinese in the school has increased to around 2,000 currently, according to school CEO, Sahoby Mampionona Ramahafalisoa.