A TORBAY school is one of a handful in the country to become a Mandarin Chinese teaching centre.
Torquay Boys Grammar School is one of only 22 schools to become a centre of excellence for the teaching of Chinese language and culture.
The new Confucius Classrooms have been established this year as part of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Confucius Institute, bringing the total number to 34 across England.

SSAT bosses said the number of centres of excellence had trebled in 2010, highlighting the importance of teaching an economically viable language such as Mandarin Chinese.
 
Victoria Allen, head of Oriental Languages at the school, said becoming a Confucius Classroom was akin to becoming a beacon school for Chinese teaching in the country. She said: "This award comes as a recognition of the work we have done especially across all departments. We have been going out in the community and helping out other schools."
Mrs Allen said teaching Mandarin at Torquay Boys Grammar School started in 2006 as an after school club and slowly moved up to be included in the curriculum.

Now 200 pupils at the school are studying Mandarin Chinese. Mrs Allen said: "We decided to teach Chinese because it is a challenge for everyone looking for something different. It does push the brightest of our students. "China has also been emerging a world power in the past 10 years and is becoming an economic powerhouse. It is important our youngsters learn Mandarin so they can do business with China later."

The SSAT Confucius Institute became the worlds first schools-based Confucius Institute when it was established by the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) in October 2006. Elizabeth Reid, its chief executive said: "Teaching Mandarin Chinese is increasingly important for the lives and careers of young people in this country.
"During the economic problems of the last two years, Chinas role in the global economy has strengthened while other economies, including our own, have faltered.

"This has underlined the necessity for young people to gain an understanding of China and its language, as many will be seeking jobs in the future for which this knowledge is essential. "As well as a major expansion in the teaching of Mandarin Chinese, we need a significant increase in the study of China across the school curriculum.

"More schools are recognizing this and the 22 new SSAT Confucius Classrooms join a strong network of schools which is driving the teaching of both Chinese language and culture. "It is through international collaboration that schools in our Chinese Networks are able to develop effective teaching and learning resources and provide students with knowledge that will prepare them for success in the global economy."