MORE MANDARIN IN SCHOOLS
NICOLA Sturgeon has announced plans for a rapid increase in children learning Mandarin, during her first visit to China.
The First Minister said she would more than double the number of ‘Confucius Classrooms’ – hubs run by Strathclyde University and the Tianjin Education Commission – from 14 to 35.
Scots Labour warned that it was vital the announcement should lead to an improvement on the SNP’s dismal record on languages in schools.
According to a recent study, uptake of Chinese languages in Scottish schools is down 37 per cent, while attainment is down 42 per cent.
Miss Sturgeon said the expansion would see six more Mandarin teachers hired across Scotland – a 40 per cent increase – and primary school children entering ‘Confucius Classrooms’ for the first time.
‘We want our young people to be better prepared for life and work in a multi-cultural, global marketplace and Mandarin is one of the world’s most widely spoken languages,’ she said.
‘Evidence shows that early language learning improves literacy and that young children learn languages more easily. Extending the Confucius Classroom learning programme to primary schools will improve language learning opportunities to more Scottish pupils, in addition to the 20,000 who already benefit.’
But Iain Gray, Scottish Labour’s education spokesman, said: ‘We’ve been here before with this SNP Government.
‘In 2012, ministers said the number of Scottish children learning Chinese language would double, yet since then there has been a significant decline.
‘We need more than just warm words and targets from the SNP.’
Miss Sturgeon also used her first trip to China as First Minister to speak about equal rights in a speech to female politicians, academics and businesswomen.
She said: ‘I know that much of the work we do in Scotland will strike a chord here in China.
‘Gender equality is incorporated in your constitution. Women account for 45 per cent of your workforce.
‘And you recognise the importance of women being f ully i nvolved in decision-making.
‘But like all societies – certainly including Scotland – there is also more that China can do.
‘To give just one example, women are still significantly under-represented among key decision-makers in business and in government.’