Scots pupils set to learn Chinese in trade drive

Scots pupils set to learn Chinese in trade drive
HAMISH MACDONELL

MORE than 200 Scottish pupils will be taking a course in Mandarin Chinese in the
next four years as part of the Executive's plans to boost Scotland's relations
with China.

Tom McCabe, the finance minister, announced the language initiative as one of
the measures designed to help Scotland trade with China.

The China strategy has been published nearly two years after Jack McConnell, the
First Minister, visited Beijing and Shanghai.

The Scottish Executive believes boosting ties between the two nations will
benefit both economies.

The strategy has ten objectives, including improving the understanding of the
Chinese language and culture in Scotland, attracting skilled Chinese people to
live and work here, strengthening links between the countries in the science
industry and working together to tackle environmental issues.

It also aims to increase the number of Chinese tourists coming to Scotland,
encourage trade between the nations and raise the profile and understanding of
Scotland in China.

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/education.cfm?id=1272842006

Last updated: 28-Aug-06 00:29 BST

Comments Add your comment1. Jim Orr / 9:12am 29 Aug 2006 Wow, this will really
knock their socks off in Beijing! 200 students studying Mandarin over four years
is.....50 new students per year. So basically one whole new teacher could be
recruited! Top marks, Tom.

Report as unsuitable 2. Alexander, Canada / 1:02pm 29 Aug 2006 Why doesn't Jack
McConnell simply hand the keys of The Castle to whomever the Beijing gangsters
care to name as MacMandarin? I note no mention of Scotland 'exporting' anything
to China. Perhaps it will be bonnie lassies who are so completely uneducated in
pseudo-marxist Scotland's neo-Taliban system that they may be employable in
Scotland only as 'lap dancers' (not that there's so many private, productive
non-'government' jobs available anyway) -- but, declining that, will remain
eligible for benefits only as hostesses serving China's giant army of
men-without-women.

Report as unsuitable 3. LC / 3:28pm 29 Aug 2006 If only we poured in as much
money for children to learn Chinese or Indian as we do to defunct languages like
Gaelic.

I wish I had the chance to learn Mandarin Chinese at school rather than French!

Report as unsuitable 4. Christopher Crossley, Wuhan, Hubei, China / 3:58pm 29
Aug 2006 My Chinese wife and I had the pleasure of visiting Edinburgh, Glasgow,
Fort William and Inverness during our recent holiday. She took every opportunity
to shop for shoes and clothes (as a result of which my wallet got progressively
lighter; I wish I could say the same about my own body weight!) ... and to look
at the prices of properties in estate agencies' windows!

I reckon that she would only be too happy to teach Mandarin to children in
Scotland - provided that I could get even a half-decent-paying job, too! That's
her main concern right now regarding our future in the UK - if and when the time
comes. Already, though, she has ambitions for us to buy property in the UK
(though exactly where is as yet undecided).

Our two-year-old daughter's first language is Mandarin, so I reckon that, a few
years down the road, she might even become a "pupil teacher"!

As for exporting things to China from Scotland, you can buy Scotch whisky in
this part of the world...

Report as unsuitable 5. rab, glasgow / 8:06pm 29 Aug 2006 chriss crossley, 4/
Aye, and i bet whiskey is is
.

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