TWO schools in Cornwall have sent a number of pupils to China for two weeks on a trip aimed to test their linguistic skills. The pupils from Callington Community College and Penair School, Truro, travelled out on July 18. The trip, which is part of a wider British Council programme aiming to promote links between the UK and China through education. As well as being a very exciting trip for them, they could leave with a nationally recognised qualification. During their visit, they will be taking 30 hours of intense Mandarin tuition in the mornings and spending the afternoons taking part in cultural activities. The activities, based on chinese culture, will range from painting and calligraphy, to Tai Chi. The pupils will also keep diaries, tracking their progress in getting to grips with the language and their experiences of China. A total of 461 students and 86 teachers from across the UK are taking part in the British Council programme. Aged between 11 and 18, the youngsters are studying with schools and universities in Beijing, Nanhai, Kuming and Shanghai. Olga Stanojlovic, director of schools for the British Council, said: 'The increasing importance of China on the economic world stage has led to a growing interest in Chinese and China among young people and schools in the UK – there are more students going on the immersion course than ever before.'
