Pupils to be sent to China on work placements

A radical new way of teaching Mandarin could open the subject to thousands of state-school pupils. The approach involves teaching the language as part of an engineering diploma – a flagship Government course – and includes a two-week work-experience placement with engineers in China.

The course designers say a focus on learning about Chinese culture will also make pupils more attractive to employers. They plan to pilot the diploma at Kingsford Community school in Newham, east London, in September.

Since the Government signalled its intention in January to give every pupil the right to study a language such as Mandarin, a debate has raged over whether there should be a two-tier approach to studying the subject by offering an easier and more accessible paper to UK children.

Exam boards are against the idea, saying they have never had to do it for other languages such as French, German or even Urdu. But Dr Anthony Seldon, Master of Wellington College, which is among the first independent UK schools to teach Mandarin, said the boards' refusal to consider it would imperil plans to increase take-up.

The engineering diploma gets round the problem by offering an easier version of the subject concentrating on the language a student would need in an engineering career in China. The diploma also includes a current-affairs unit in which the pupils will study news coverage in China to enhance their understanding of China's culture.

Taken from The Independent Education section, Saturday 20 March 2010

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