SCOTTISH Opera is celebrating 50 years of introducing schoolchildren to classical music with free online classes for youngsters.

Pupils in Primaries one to seven across the country will get access to an online version of the national organisation’s Primary Schools Tour, which use music and art to teach maths, environmental issues and health to children.

One class, based around a digital story book called Tiny Chef, introduces pupils to the Mandarin language and Chinese food and culture.

Created in collaboration with the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools, the story took ideas developed with Primary three and four pupils and turned them into a story with the help of a composer and opera-writer.

Jane Davidson, Scottish Opera’s head of education, said creativity helped children “build emotional strength and resilience”.