The ability of today’s students to compete in the global economy is at risk because too few schools are teaching Mandarin Chinese, the British Council has warned.
It comes as the numbers taking GCSEs in the subject has fallen markedly since 2010.
A study of 832 teachers commissioned by the British Council and HSBC found that only three per cent of primary and nine per cent of secondary teachers reported the language as being on offer in their schools. This is despite China becoming the world’s second biggest economy in 2011. Just one per cent of the teachers said their schools planned to start teaching Mandarin, while two per cent said their schools have stopped the subject.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here