More than 50 pupils are taking the Mandarin tuition course, which also includes opportunities to take part in cultural activities and travel within China. They will receive a Scottish Qualifications Authority accredited qualification on completion of the course.

Languages Minister Alasdair Allan said: "We are committed to preparing our young people to flourish in the modern globalised and multi-lingual world."

The course has been organised by the new Confucius Institute for Scotland's Schools at the National Centre for Languages at Strathclyde University.

There are 10 Confucius classroom hubs in Scotland, with a further two to be developed in 2013. They aim to educate about Chinese language and culture.