Pupils from across England to visit China with Mandarin Excellence Programme

Pupils in London practising Chinese calligraphy - Source: British Council More than 100 pupils from across England will visit China, for first time since the pandemic, as part of UCL-led Mandarin Excellence Programme. Since its inception in 2016, the Mandarin Excellence Programme has empowered more than 11,000 young learners in England on the path to fluency in Mandarin Chinese. Funded by the Department for Education and delivered by the Ioe, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society in partnership with the British Council, it gives pupils an unprecedented opportunity when it comes to language learning. The trip, involving 132 students from five schools across England, marks a significant milestone as the first international school tour organised under the Mandarin Excellence Programme since 2019. Pupils will venture to Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Chengdu over the course of two weeks engaging in an extensive programme of cultural activities with pupils in connected Chinese schools, all of which will incorporate cultural exchange, friendship building and language learning at their core. Activities will range from cultural lessons, from calligraphy to cooking, to sporting and arts activities, including martial arts and dancing. Katharine Carruthers, Director of Ioe, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society's Confucius Institute for Schools and the programme's Strategic Director, said: "We are delighted that some MEP students are able to visit China for the first time since 2019 through the Mandarin Excellence Programme.