A special unit designed to develop links with China and promote Mandarin language learning was opened yesterday in a secondary school run by Scotland's largest local authority.

Hillhead High School in the west end of Glasgow has been chosen as the location of the city's first Confucius Classroom, part of a network of such units at secondaries across Scotland.

The Confucius Classroom will give pupils lessons in Chinese language and culture and will also be used to organise trips to China and develop links with Chinese people living in Scotland.

The aim is to establish a centre of excellence for the teaching of Mandarin Chinese and to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture.

Although Hillhead High is the location of the new hub, the intention is to provide a facility that other schools and communities in Glasgow will be able to use.

The initiative is being delivered as a partnership between Glasgow City Council, Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Hanban - the Chinese Education Authority with responsibility for the promotion of language and culture.

Glasgow's hub will be supported by the network of seven other Confucius Classrooms based in 14 local authorities around the country. Hillhead was chosen because it already has a well-established record of Mandarin learning, with it being taught from S1 to S6.

Around 100 pupils have gained GCSEs in the subject over the last 10 years and from next session pupils will be presented in new SQA qualifications at Intermediate 1 and 2 levels.

Gordon Matheson, the council's executive member for education, said: "The aim is to promote not just a better understanding of the Chinese language, but focus on culture as well."

Mandarin is spoken by more than one billion people and the UK Government wants every school, college and university to be twinned with an equivalent in China within the next five years.

The launch was attended by Schools Minister Adam Ingram, Bernard McLeary, chief executive of Learning and Teaching Scotland, Margaret Doran, the council's executive director for education and Mr Matheson.