Children in Norfolk are to benefit from renewed educational links with China thanks to a #163;20,000 funding boost.

Norfolk County Council has received funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families to develop its work with the Xuhui Education Bureau, in Shanghai.

The Connecting Classrooms project will focus on Shanghai’s Expo 2010, which will look at urban living and development.

The 36 Norfolk schools involved in the partnership will work with their Xuhui sister schools to research eight of the participating countries.

Students from Xuhui will visit Norfolk in July to work with the schools to create an exhibition about the Expo.

The concept has been praised by the British Council, which has asked to come to Norfolk when the Chinese students visit in July.

Shelagh Hutson, the county council’s member for children’s services, said: “This project provides Norfolk’s youngsters with even greater opportunities to learn about different nations and cultures.

“Our partnership with China has been in place for nearly seven years now and has given hundreds of children opportunities to enrich their learning about the world.” DM.