PRIMARY schools in Inverclyde will share £42,000 to help children learn additional languages.

The Scottish Government cash is aimed at enabling every pupil to start learning another language in P1, a second extra language by P5 and for teaching to continue to the end of S3.

Employment minister Jamie Hepburn announced yesterday that £3 million will be distributed to councils across the country this year to support the scheme, with Inverclyde to receive £42,000.

It is estimated that a lack of language skills costs Scottish businesses hundreds of millions of pounds a year in lost exports.

Funding will help towards the teaching of Mandarin, Gaelic, European languages and British Sign Language.

Mr Hepburn said: “Learning languages in today’s global, multi-cultural world is becoming more crucial than ever.

“Research shows that employers strongly favour candidates with language skills and we want to ensure young Scots are equipped with the skills they need in the global marketplace.

“That is why introducing school children to languages at a young age and helping them to foster a long-lasting love of languages is so crucially important.

“Our 1+2 language policy supports this ambition and I’m pleased to announce we are allocating a further £3 million to schools in the 2018-19 draft budget, bringing our total investment to £27.2 million since 2013.”

Ministers hope the extra cash will help continue a recent surge in the number of young people gaining language Highers and skills-based qualifications in recent years.