Almost 400 pupils from 14 schools across England have been
praised by for their progress in learning
Mandarin, as part of a pilot programme to help them get ahead in
the global jobs market.
The Mandarin Excellence Programme, delivered by the UCL Institute
of Education in partnership with the British Council, aims to
have at least 5,000 pupils in England on track towards fluency in
Mandarin Chinese by 2020.
The first cohort of children have completed the first year of the
programme and over 380 pupils achieved more than 80% in
specially-created tests in reading, writing, listening and
speaking, demonstrating their quick progress and commitment.
This year, an additional 23 schools throughout England have
entered into the Mandarin Excellence Programme, meaning hundreds
more pupils will soon have the opportunity to learn this advanced
skill.
School Standards Minister said:
Mandarin Chinese is an important language to learn in our
globally competitive economy. I am pleased that this programme
is continuing to grow, allowing more pupils to be taught
Mandarin at an advanced level. I would like to congratulate the
first cohort of students on their success. They have achieved
some excellent results thanks to their hard work and
dedication. This will give them a significant advantage when
competing in the global jobs market, and is particularly
important as we prepare to leave the European Union.
Pupils on the programme spend an average of eight hours per week
studying the language.
In addition to improving students’ fluency in the language, the
UCL Institute of Education, in collaboration with other
providers, aims to have trained at least 100 new qualified
Chinese teachers by the end of the programme.
Katharine Carruthers, Director of the UCL Institute Of Education
(IOE) Confucius Institute, who deliver the training, said:
The progress that learners have made after their first year
participating in the Mandarin Excellence Programme is
exceptional. The test results from the end of year one of the
programme demonstrate the success and the impact that it is
having. This year we are delighted to welcome additional
schools joining the programme which will ensure that more than
1,000 new learners across the country are given the opportunity
to learn Chinese to such an advanced level.
Mark Herbert, Head of Schools Programmes at the British Council
said:
Mandarin Chinese is one of the languages that matters most to
the UK’s prosperity – and its importance is only likely to
increase as the UK repositions itself on the world stage.
If the UK is to remain globally competitive, we need far more
young people leaving school with a good grasp of Mandarin in
order to successfully work abroad or for businesses here in the
UK. More than that, learning Mandarin is a fascinating process
which creates a connection to the amazing Chinese culture and
over a billion Chinese speakers globally.
State schools in England can apply to join the Mandarin
Excellence Programme from 2018 with funding available to support
successful delivery. As part of the programme, some pupils will
have the chance to go to China from summer 2018.
More information about the programme and how to get involved can
be found here.
