£10m extra investment announced for Mandarin lessons
Osborne made the announcement on a visit to China while addressing an audience of Chinese financiers. The extra investment will be used to recruit and train teaching staff to teach the language up to GCSE level, and aims to see 5,000 pupils learning China’s main language by 2020.
Osborne said: “In Britain, there is a hunger to learn more and understand more about this great civilisation. I’m here in China to help forge closer economic and cultural relationships between our nations, and this announcement is another great example of things we are doing to help grow both of our economies."
Speaking to the BBC, Osborne added: "At the moment about 1,000 children in our schools do GCSE Mandarin.
"Why don't we make that 5,000 children in our schools over the next five years... learning a language that is becoming a great international language, rather than, frankly, languages that are not spoken by very large numbers of people?
"That's an ambition that says Britain wants to be engaged in the future."
Latest News
31/03/2026 - 10:07
A number of English local authorities have been awarded £155,000 each to improve food pro
30/03/2026 - 10:38
The government has confirmed £108 million of funding to deliver hands-on training, commun
27/03/2026 - 11:59
The government has published its first official guidance on screen use for children under five, aiming to help parents manage the growing influence of digital devices in early childhood.
26/03/2026 - 17:00
The winners of the 2026 Education Business Awards have been unveiled, shining a spotlight on the outstanding achievements and dedication of schools and academies across the UK.
26/03/2026 - 08:17
New research commissioned for the DfE's Teaching Vacancies service shows schools are increasingly adopting fair, transparent and inclusive practices.
