MANDARIN Chinese is to be put on the curriculum at Hummersknott Community School and Language College, in Darlington.
The school, which has specialist language college status, will launch the £150,000 five-year pilot programme on November 23.
It is hoped that with China poised to join the World Trade Organisation, Mandarin speakers will make the North-East more attractive to investors, while boosting youngsters' chances of employment in the international jobs market.
"Our pupils will acquire skills that could give them a head start in the global work force," said language college director Suzanne Powner.
Students on the GCSE Mandarin course will get the opportunity to take part in exchanges, study trips and projects with Chinese schools.
The school hopes to increase the number of Mandarin teachers in the region and eventually expand the pilot scheme to the other seven specialist language colleges in the North-East
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