World Class Teachers
Send in your questions about school twinning here...
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Samantha, Guilsborough School, Northampton, UK
Our school is interested in linking to a school in Malawi. I am doing a lot of research on the area for one of my Alevels and we a currently planning events to raise money for a school. Our research has concentrated on AIDS orphans and we would love to be able to link with a school and give them our full support. We also also intending to plan later on, a trip to visit them to see how our raised funds are improving the area. And advice on going about linking to a school in Malawi would be much appreciated as we are currently finding it difficult to make connections. Thankyou very much.
Z MOHAED ZAJEETH SAINTHAMARTHU
WONDERFULL WEBSITE
Jo, UK
We are very interested in making a link with a primary school in Kenya, to develop the children's cultural understanding as part of our global diversity week.Thank you
Kelly Voss
I am teaching about Africa to my year 4 class this term and would love to team up with a school- is it costly? Is there anyway I can volunteer to teach for a short time in Africa- any area needing help I would love the experience and to help where i can.
World Class say: Some twinning partners do charge for their service but many are free of charge. Please visit the Get Started page for more information.
retired lecturer
I would like to know if there is any twinning of teacher training colleges. Or exchange of syllabii of the history of these things under discussion.
Tracey Meadham
We are beginning whole school Spanish next year and would like an idea of how to find a Spanish school to make links with. Our Geography topic next term is about links also, so would like to start as soon as possible after the holidays.
Rina Boshoff
We are a private school in Nigeria. Want to partner with a school?
Jacquelle
How do I get my school twinned up with another school?
samantha brailey
We are going to twin with a special school in south africa as we are a special school ourselves. We are not sure at how to start and with what is there any information on the first steps to doing this.
bafadhil abdillah/Mukalla/Hadhramout/Republic Of Y
Hi How are you.I am a PTA member of our school here in Mukalla Yemen and we would like to twin with a school in England and also have a cross cultural exchange progamme (students, Teachers) Thank you in Advance.
Fiona Brierley, Southend High School for Girls
Final comments from students on the last day of their visit to Tutor Ndamase SSS, Libode, South Africa.
Before departing the students all said goodbye, many hugging us and having photos taken. We left with the music teacher and spent the journey going back to Umtata trying to help him to read music. I hope I managed to help him a bit, his music was wonderful regardless of his lack of musical training.
Emily - Today I did something I am very proud of. I worked with and spoke along side a student from Tutor Ndamase School in front of the whole school.
Elle - The traditional Zulu dancing had to be seen to be believed! It was awesome. I would truly like to go back again.
Ashleigh - We were to give a presentation at 12.00 in front of the whole school and even in my nervous state I started to organise people. I didn�t want to be bossy but I had to do something or I would be biting my nails. It was nice preparing the presentation with Carlos and Yanga and they were really interesting. At the end of the farewell assembly I was overwhelmed with emotions.
Kirstine - I felt I had made real friends with Nalita and Bello, both I will miss. The experience we had at school was definitely one of the best, most amazing experiences of my life so far.
Sophie - I was sad to think that I may not visit the school again but also I had so much fun.
Pip - This was our first visit with students to our link school. It was an amazing experience for all involved. After initial shyness the students got along famously. Kids are kids the world over and in general have the same interests, concerns and worries, our visit confirmed this. It would be brilliant to take another, larger group in the future. We have raised funds to invite 3 teachers over in November. This will be the next step in our link to work with these three teachers on curriculum development and teaching and learning in the UK. Clearly a future aim would be to invite some learners to the UK for an educational visit but in the mean time we are sponsoring a learning to apply to university each year. As the culmination of a rewards system developed by 4 teachers who visited as part of a TIPD in February,(in Libode the students have to pay a type of deposit to apply to university subsequently they can obtain a bursary but the initial deposit is difficult if not impossible for many to find).
Fiona Brierley, Southend High School for Girls
Comments from Students on our first student visit to our link school - Tutor Ndamase SSS in Libode, South Africa.
I had been anticipating our visit to the school all during the journey and we were finally able to experience it. We arrived at the school which was surrounded by machinery and rubble, due to construction work. It was nice to see the teachers as they couldn't believe the work that had been done in terms of new buildings. It made me feel as though our trip was really going to be worth while if previous trips had enabled such a dramatic change in only 2 years.
In the staff room we were greeted by the headmaster and introduced to all the staff. We awaited the arrival of the Queen of the pondo for a more formal welcome. When she arrived we were led to an assembly of pupils or learners as they call them. They all stood in lines staring at us. After more speeches the learners sang for us. Their music was amazing and sent shivers down my spine.
When we met the learners we discussed what their lives were like compared to ours. It was nice to hear about the things we had in common but also interesting to hear how our lives differ. How people travel in and from school. One boy told me that he walks for an hour and a half each way. It made me realise how much these children really want to learn. However, the lessons seemed badly planned with teachers not turning up, or answering moble phones in the middle of lessons. I couldn't believe how unstructured the lessons were and it made me realise that some teacher attitudes need to change if the learners are to benefit from a good education.
Emily
When I got there I immediately wondered at how small the school was!! It is under construction now and 21 classrooms were being built but originally there were only 4 big classrooms. These rooms were really grubby with no colour, it just felt very cold. The learners were however, smartly dressed. I was told by one of the girls that they must wear a white shirt one day and a blue shirt the next - and if they didn't they would get punished. that is another thing which surprised me - the means of punishement, being hit by a stick on the hands. The assembly was amazing I have never been stared at as much but got loads of waves as well, they were really friendly and wanting to know all about us. The students had a full timetable with only a 1/2 hour break during the day. I had to admire the determination of the learners, they want to do well, especially when you consider the scarse resources available to them. I felt honoured to have the experience of meeting these learners.
Kirstine
Today was undoubtebly the best day of the trip. At the first meeting we stood as Queen Bongolethu arrived and we all said "Ah Bongoletho". I then had to stand up and say a few words of thanks for the invitation to the school. I was filming the assembly when they started singing. their singing is absolutely...the word 'beautiful' just doesn't do it justice. It is divine and powerful, with such an intense driving energy. During discussions I discovered that punishements include lashings and fines which shocked me greatly. The learners would like art music and sports lessons and they miss this from their primary schools. The conversation with the learners was extremely enlighteneing, bringing about that we are the same. We like the same films, listen to the same music and think similarly.
Ashleigh
Julie Davey, London
Julie Davey, Final Reflections
Friday 4th August 2006 - We arrived home on Monday 31st July and I have spent a lot of time since then reviewing my experiences in Uganda. I have printed off all my photos and recounted all the events to my friends and family but have found it difficult to capture the essence of the visit; you really did have to be there. It is almost impossible to describe the sights we saw, the sounds we heard and the range of emotions we felt.
The quality of performance that the children gave in their traditional welcome was outstanding; their singing voices, musical ability and acting skills were equal to any professional performance. Personally, I love African voices and when the choir began to sing for the first time, I was transfixed. The educational play that was themed on Aids and its treatment was devastatingly accurate and lead you to wonder how many of the children had already personally experienced the effects of the disease.
The visit provoked a roller coaster of emotions for all of us: Amazing highs as we began to build relationships with the children and watched their immense pleasure when they received simple presents such as footballs and skipping ropes.
Amazing lows as we began to realise how difficult their lives are and the lack of basic facilities in their homes and schools. Intense admiration as we realised the quality of the teaching and learning that occurs at the school, despite all the disadvantages they have.
Frustration as we realised that we would need longer to learn all we need to know about the teachers, children and school.
Final realisation that this is just the beginning and that our partnership will need to evolve slowly in order to reach its full potential. There will be many more visits to and from Uganda and slowly we will all learn from each other.
This was the experience of a lifetime and I hope I will continue to learn from it. Uganda is a wonderful place, with delightful, friendly people. I would love to return one day.
MASINDI VISIT REVIEW - Helen Collins
I can speak on behalf of all the teachers that went in saying that we all felt extremely privileged to have experienced school life in Uganda for the short time we were there last week. The warmth and love that we all felt from the people that we met is something that is really hard to put into words. The welcome and then the goodbyes, made us feel extremely special and determined to strengthen the links between our schools in Harrow and the schools in Masindi.
On our final day in school, Caroline and I handed out some postcards that out children from Whitefriars had written to the children of Isagara. The children were so happy to receive these, they crowded around us and were desperate to get a postcard from a friend. After, there was a quiet lull in the crowded classroom as they hurriedly replied to their new friends. They were so, so happy to know that children in a country far, far away from them were thinking about them and sending their greetings. We are determined that this link and partnership between the schools should be celebrated and developed in the form of joint projects and reciprocal visits so we can all learn from each other.
All in all it has been, for everyone, an incredible experience that we hope to share and build on back in our own classrooms. We are all left with some very special memories that will remain with us for a long time.
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Helen and Caroline
We are sitting in an internet cafe in Masindi, hoping that the electricity will not fail us as it did yesterday, so fingers crossed.... We have been having an incredible experience and learning so much. The day began with us both observing different lessons. Helen watched and then was increasingly involved in a P1 (Year 1) lesson of 112 children all squashed into one classroom that is no bigger than the one at Whitefriars. the children sang rhymes, did some english and maths work and were incredibly well behaved despite there being so much going on. It took the teacher 15 minutes to give out the books. What was incredible was the other children knew immediately if someone was absent - how could they see?! The children were desperate to have their work marked and get a smiley face so at some moments there were 50 children crowding around waiting for their work to be checked. It was a little daunting when about 20 minutes towards the end of the lesson, the teacher left the room and 112 children turned and looked expectantly. Headies, shoulders, knees and toes then was sung repeatedly as well as a newly learnt song, one, two three, which ends "don't sing again" but that part was ignored at least 6 times as there is only a limit to how much you can do in a room of mostly 5 year olds who have no idea what you are saying to them, except enjoying a thumbs up!! Caroline was in a P6 class where a similar experience was encountered. She had found the teaching very interesting, the children had been primed with role plays, and it was clear that the lesson was well thought out and planned. The children were engaged and enjoying the lesson. The teacher was introducing vocabulary to be used in Traditional Stories. She was feeling optimistic that the teaching styles were not SO disimilar to ours. Then the pupils were told to get out their books- "Here comes the Creative writing," she thought- but no, they did a short spelling test of the vocab. The teacher then told her that he was going to mark and she had to teach!Definitely out of the comfort zone. No resources, no plan, NO IDEA! Got through it though and enjoyed her first experience. We think they understood me, but they were very polite (as they all are, all the time).We then walked out of the classrooms to be greeted with most of the children in the school whooping and cheering in excitement as they were playing with the parachute that we had left them the previous day - pure magic again. It was only 10.3o in the morning. This is only the tip of the iceberg, there is so, so, so much more to say. The days we have had could be written about in such detail, so special are the experiences, but we are in an internet cafe in town, the dark is now here and we have to walk up to the hotel with no torch, so we think we had better get going. The experiences of the day has raised so many more questions than answers, our emotions are all over the place, we know that we need time to think about and consider the effect of this on us personally and professionally.One thing we have to say is that the teachers are fantastic and have a lot to teach us and we hope that we can give something back to them as well.
Posted: Fri Jul 28 17:38:21 2006
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Julie and Elaine
Friday 28th July 2006. This was our last day at Kigezi School. We spent the morning finalising our 'Special Project' with the Headteacher. We have agreed that funds raised by the parents, children, and staff of Norbury School will be used to help Kigezi School to buy extra desks, musical instruments and costumes for their exceptionally talented children. We had brought extra small gifts for the children; skipping ropes, footballs, sweets and pencils. Julia, the Headteacher of Norbury School, caused pandemonium when she kicked the first football from just outside the office into the middle of their grassed playing area. Within minutes most of the boys at Kigezi School were involved in a manic football game. Later in the afternoon the boys had organised themselves into teams and were playing in a more orderly fashion. The girls loved the skipping ropes too and we taught them various skipping rhymes. Soon the chant of 'teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around......' could be heard across the school. The afternoon passed too quickly and soon it was time for our 'farewell concert'. The children performed their moving songs and plays again; this time we remembered to record it onto cassette for our children to listen to when we return to Norbury. The performance was particularly poignant as the children and 2 teachers performed a farewell song, wishing us a safe journey, hoping we will write and remain their friends. We were presented with a beautiful wood carving showing 2 hands clasped together and the words 'It's nice to have friends'. There was just time to take some last minute photos and say goodbye to our many friends. As we left all the children turned to wave, it was very difficult to leave. However, our partnership will continue and a teacher from Kigezi will be visiting Norbury in October. This has been the experience of a lifetime; we have learnt a tremendous amount and we are very grateful we were given this opportunity to work together to help to enhance the education of Norbury's and Kigezi's children.!
Posted:
Fri Jul 28 17:27:31 2006
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Elaine
Yesterday my comments ended prematurely due to a typical Masindi powercut. I'll continue recounting the welcome we received. The drama, dancing and singing were exceptional. The most moving event was a drama acted out, but told through singing, dealing with the issue of aids. Children mimed being in the latter stages of the disease, while other children sang about their struggle and hardship living as an orphan. Some told how they felt as widows and mothers who had lost their husbands and children to this disease. There was also a strong message that those who were infected with the virus needed to be looked after. The quality of the singing was equal to any westend production and caused the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. Children dramatised why educatoion was important and how they can achieve a better life through education. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the children perform their national dancing and singing with such enthusiasm. Today was also a day when we could meet with the chair and vice chair of the Management Committee (like our Governing Body)and discuss with the Headteacher and teachers what both schools want out of the partnership. It was an interesting discussion as both schools come from such different perspectives but what was agreed quite quickly was that the partnership will have many positive benefits for the children of both Norbury and Kigezi schools. We would not be doing this otherwise. The day ended with us visiting all the classes. We brought some games over for the children, includiong three quick cricket sets for the older pupils. We did not know that football is the national game (passion) and that we would end up trying to explain the intricasies of that other beautiful game. We decided to demonstrate inside the class room, to the delight and hilarity of the children. The teachers were just looking on good naturedly ( I hope)marvelling at the havoc we had caused. However one of the most wonderful sights was seeing the whole of P7 out in the playground, wacking away with the bat and defending those stumps as we were leaving. Quick cricket today - tomorrow snakes and ladders!
Posted: Thu Jul 27 16:34:13 2006
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Elaine
We returned to the school for the 'proper' welcome which was incredibly emotional. We were presented with a wonderful array of singing, dancing and drama. This performance lasted for two and a half hours and each section was performed to an exceptional standard. The quality of teaching to achieve this is unquestionable. The performance started with the school choir singing both the Ugandan and the Masindi anthems. This was sung with pride and from the very first note our emotions were stirred. These were children who had so much spirit and and enthusiasm for their home land and wanted to show it off to visitors.Children as young as five, from the P1 class sang a welcoming song. This was replicated by each of the classes, right upto P7.We were also given extra treats by the choir who had performed on the previous Monday at the local drama, dancing and singing competion held in Masindi Town. They came first!!!!!!!They're now through to the finals on the 5th August and we will be keepimg our fingers crossed for them. It's a shame were not still here.
Posted: Wed Jul 26 15:39:17 2006
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Julie
Monday 24th July.We arrived at Entebbe Airport at 5.30pm to a pitch black sky, darker than would ever be seen in an English city. We were also greeted by a small group of mosquitos, who were eager to sample our fresh, foreign blood. The dawn came suddenly, like a curtain lifting and the day was fresh, cool and infinitely preferable to the hot, humid weather we'd left behind. We were transported to Kampala in 'taxis', old style camper vans, bulging with our luggage of games and gifts for our Ugandan link schools. The journey into Kampala was as slow as a trip into Central London, with a large traffic jam. However the Ugandan people accepted it with good grace and there was no trace of short tempers or 'road rage'. The slow journey gave us a good chance to look around and we saw several immaculately dressed school children walking to school. We also saw a wide variety of dwellings from traditional round African Huts, to wooden or brick shelters with metal roofs and even one stylish house. Kampala was bustling with people, walking, driving and riding on the motorbike/pushbike taxis. These consist of bikes with an extra padded seat on the back which female passengers ride side saddle. Ugandan ladies obviously have superior balance to me.Some of the seats had advertising or logos on them and I spotted one for Arsenal FC and one for Liverpool FC. My Liverpool supporting sons would have been proud! Goats and chickens wander by the road side and in a large drainage channel several large stork-like birds were scavanging. There were many open markets selling fresh produce, such as onion, peppers and vast quantities of bananas. After a short break in Kampala to change our money into Ugandan shillings, we started our 4 hour minibus trip to Masindi. Rural Uganda is very different to Kampala, with less diversity of housing, most being single storey brick dwellings with metal roofs. The settlements run along the roadside, with goats and cows wandering or tethered on long ropes. The vegetation is green and lush and certainly much greener than in England at the moment. It was stunning to come to Africa and find it cooler and greener than England. Tomorrow we visit our linked school, Kigezi Primary, the real purpose of our visit will start then. This was posted 2 days late, due to power failures in Masindi town.
Posted: Wed Jul 26 15:32:38 2006
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Elaine
We arrived at our school in Kigezi to find that there had been some administrive mishap. The headmaster had not expected us to arrive on Tuesday. Welcoming people is very important in Uganda and the Headteacher was obviously embarrassed by not having a 'proper' welcome prepared. We had a short tour of the classes and it was agreed that we would come back the next day and that this would count as our official first day. Even just being in the school for a short period of time (two hours) gave us food for thought and allowed us to get together and thrash out the thoughts and emotions we were experiencing. It also meant we couldn't wait to get back into Kigezi as the ice had already been broken.
Posted: Wed Jul 26 15:25:11 2006
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Norbury School update
Elaine and Julie from Norbury School, Harrow are without internet access at the moment, but hopefully will be able to update us very soon!
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Caroline and Helen
Well, here we are in an internet cafe in Masindi town, Uganda. We don't quite know how to begin with describing the day that we have had. It began with an incredibly bumpy ride (that did get bumpier) to our link school Isagara. We were welcomed by the headteacher and lots of smiley faces peering from the classrooms. It made things less strange for them and us because they have received visitors from England before. (Lynne was the global teacher there three years ago) We became aware of a sense of anticipation and excitement as we toured the empty classroom of the school. We were soon to find out why - A welcome ceremony just for us!We were seated at the front of the school with chairs carried out from the staffroom in front of a whole school who were looking with interest at us, whilst not trying to engage in eye contact. The dancing and singing was spectacular, (sunglasses were worn to hide how much this was really moving us to tears!) They had written poetry including our names to welcome us and had an array of music and dance. It was quite humbling to be treated with such respect. Afer the ceremony programme ended, the time came (We couldn't put it off any longer) we had to both make a speech. Legs were shakikng after, but we managed. We got some claps, but we are not sure how much they understood!! Next came a tour of the classrooms, by which time the children were back studying. Again more greetings and speeches (but less leg shaking after the fifth - it was by then quite enjoyable!) We noticed how the children have been trained to stand and greet courteously, with polite responses.The hospitality continued when we were invited to lunch at the school chairman's home. A typical Ugandan lunch was given to us which was delicious and filling. It was fascinating to be invited into their home and get a glimpse of their way of life. We made our way back to school. (although we could have easily slept under the banana trees!) The decision for the afternoon was to take small groups (We suggested six at a time) to play some games that our children at Whitefriars, Harrow had made for them. They were very well received by the first group of 30! Word soon got out and so did all the children from their lessons!! Finally we had the WHOLE school desperate to join in. We abadoned them the idea of teacing and small group discussion about the numbers, dice, games etc and just handed out games, dice and counters on mass to all these eager, eager children. The sight that greeted us when we finally raised our heads, was truly magical. Children as far as we could see across the field, either playing or watching others play. There was a lovely sound of children just completely absorbed and content. We wondered where the other teachers were! It was just an amazing experience for us. Barriers between us and the children began to break down as they)and us) overcame our shyness and we finished the afternoon off by singing to each other. Helen's experience as previously being a reception teacher came in handy as she had to reach into the archives of her memory for appropriate songs. Caroline was struggling but has set herself a target to learn and brush up on as many songs as possible ready for the new challenges tomorrow! We were relieved after an hour of singing to climb aboard the truck and head for a cold beer and time to reflect on an amazing day.
Posted: Tue Jul 25 16:45:09 2006
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Caroline Holland
I am finaly off to Heathrow in about an hour, so there's just time for my first ever ' blog'. It has been interesting this week to realise that you are never too old to learn new things- I have had to explain to many people what a blog is! Hopefully my teaching skills have been good enough so all those people are now able to access and read my interesting( hopefully)communications!During the last few days as the crescendo of preparation has reached its climax (getting the kids organised- not me) I find myself making contrasts with our way of life and those of my pre-conceived ideas of life for a Ugandan family. It has caused an element of conflict, especially when I am having to prepare myself to meet people who have little material wealth, whilst dealing with teenagers materialistic 'needs'(wants). However, soon I will lose my pre-conceptions and replace them with experience and knowledge. I feel very privaledged to be given the opportunity. It has been fantastic to have everything organised for me and apart from the usual decisions about what to pack and how much time to leave to get to the airport- its all been done for me.Of course we have had numerous discussions about what to take to Masindi and added to that some laughs over the scales ( strict weight limit)I am so glad to be travelling with my friend and colleague, Helen Collins, because although the expected nerves are definitely here, it is very reasuring to be travelling with someone you know well( although we are about to get to know each other even better!)So, the car is packed and I think I have got everything, I hope that all the presents for the school are OK and are worthwhile, but we will talk about those on a later blog. So how do I feel now? Nervous, expectant, worried about not sleeping on the plane, but most of all excited!
Posted: Sun Jul 23 15:15:11 2006
BLOG FROM MASINDI - Helen Collins
I now think I am just about ready for the trip to Uganda. After the busy end of term, I have spent the weekend shopping, packing, checking lists and weighing bags to make sure I am not taking too much! I think that it seems finally real that we are going and I feel a sense of nervous excitement that is spreading up from my toes! It is definately going to be an adventure. I have been fortunate enough to visit East Africa on occasions before when visiting family who lived and worked in Tanzania, so I can't wait to discover another East African country and its people. I am particularly looking forward to giving the children of Isagara games that our children at Whitefriars have made for them. I am sure they are going to enjoy them a great deal. The plane journey will definately give me time to reflect and get ready for the exciting and moving times that I know are ahead of me next week.
Posted: Sun Jul 23 13:14:50 2006
Pepi, UKOWLA
For schools interested in linking with schools in The Gambia or for schools in The Gambia interested in linking with schools in the UK or ther parts of the world please contact the Gambia One World Linking Association (GOWLA) This is an umbrella body set up in 2002. GOWLA's aim is to contribute to a more just, educated, informed and tolerant global society. To achieve this GOWLA supports existing communties, schools and groups links and encourages the formation of new links between The Gambia and other parts of the world. For more information please contact gowla2000@yahoo.com or see the website www.gowla.nl
Besenty Gomez, Kitty Village, The Gambia
I was a teacher but I now work with the Examinations Council. I am still passionate about teaching as through it we can be assured of a better future. I used to teach Social Studies, History and Literature in English. I would be more than grateful to hear from schools who want to be linked up with Schools in The Gambia. Twinning of schools would go a long way in bringing students and people of different cultural backgrounds together for the betterment of humanity.
Nicola Crofts Gloucster uk
My family live in Somerset West near Cape Town. I would love the chance to visit/exchange with a school near here. I teach Year 4 in school with low socio-economic status that is wrought with challenges.
Ben Lovett, The Henry Beaufort Technology College,
We have recently set up a link with a school in Hanoi, Vietnam. Students from both schools have created posters and sent them to each other and all are available on the school website. They are now all creating webpages looking into aspects of their partner country. Go to http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupHomepage.asp?GroupID=60914 to see the webpage. We are interested in creating a cluster schoools focused on links with Vietnam. Please contact me via the webpage if interested. I am fluent in the language and we are keen to expand with other schools. Our website is easy to use and allocate students with usernames to ensure secure online areas for monitored forums for discussion.
Laura Beverley, Ringwood Junior School, Hampshire
For the past three years Ringwood Junior school has been linked to Zakhele Primary School, South Africa. Staff have been working alongside Turnditch Primary School, Derbyshire and the Mamelodi Trust to provide much needed equipment and training for the staff of Zakhele School. The Mamelodi Trust have helped to build and equip an I.C.T. suite as well as a modern Science Lab. Staff from both schools have had the privilege to visit and work alongside their African colleagues and a trip has been planned for this summer to continue the support. The experience has been incredible and I thoroughly recommend it!
Tom Allen, Pahar Trust and Cleethorpes
Just a brief report on my visit to Nepal this Easter with the Pahar Trust.
Unfortunately the party of educationalists principally from the Isle Of man ran into immediate trouble as we arrived in Kathmandu.
The 7 political parties had called on the people to strike against the autocratic rule of the King.
He in return had imposed daylight hour curfews.
We made a journey by plane to Pokhara where we visited existing Pahar Trust schools.
In my role as the person responsible for linking English schools with Nepalese Schools.I was able make initial links with a junior school in Wiltshire with Tarkang school , West Nepal.
I also managed to link Epploket Primary school with a Junior school in Birmingham.
Sadly I was not able to visit East Nepal.
I was due to open a Basketball court at the village on Namje , where my own school's partner school is situated.
The sports facility costing �2000 had been funded through a joint venture with Matthew Humberstone School Cleethorpes and The Rotary club of Cleethorpes.
I was able however to pass on �350 to the headteacher of Devithon school raised by their partner school Elliston Juniors (Cleethorpes)for the annual salary of one teacher.
The highlight of my trip was being guided on a trek by a student teacher first sponsored 6 years ago by a local resident in Lincolnshire.
This was when he had never been to school.
Since then he has flourished.
Successfully completing his exams at school he is now in his first year at Pokhara University.
His ambition is to return to his village and teach in the same school he himself went to.
A real success story and all for �50 sponsorship a year.
Hope this gives you a flavour of our trip. Returning to Kathmandu was difficult and we required an armed escort to make our way to the International airport.
What is pleasing to see is the country is now returning to some normality with the king handing back some form of democracy to the people.
Judy Anderson, Bermuda
I am a social studies teacher for 7th graders. A friend will be travelling to South Africa for missionary work in December. I would like to twin with a school in Capetown or Johannesburg, and send information, supplies etc with her from us. Can anyone help? The twinned school can be at the upper primary to middle grades. Thank you.
Iclal Lawrence, Tollgate Primary School, London
Tollgate Primary school has twinned with a NGO school in outskirts of Dhaka two years ago. Lata Ahmed and Parvez are two unpaid teachers who devote their time and money for the street children in Dhaka. In this small building there are 60 children between 6 to 13 years old. They teach how to use natural resources including bamboo and clay as well as creative dance and drama. Nearly all the children work after school and none of them can afford to go state school. After an initial visit made by the headteacher Mr Tom Canning, we have decided to link with the school to support children's education and understand the Bengali culture. I have led a group of teachers to Green Village school during the half term holiday part of a TIPD study visit. We were so overwhelmed with the love and care that Lata and Parvez given to those children. Children were so enthusiastic to work hard on the bare floors with their new pencils and pens to practice their Bengali and English words. We have produced a CD containing songs written by the children to raise substantial amount of money to support children's education in Dhaka. In total we have raised �3,000 and still are continuing our link with the Green Village school. We are now trying to fundraise to bring those fantastic teachers here as they will not have the financial support from their education department as we have in here. We aim to continue our link to support their cause to provide education for every child.
Jan Fredrickson, Creative Partnerships, Slough
Since 1995, soon after the first democratic elections in South Africa, schools in Slough set up a twinning project with primary schools in Khayelitsha, the biggest township in the Cape Town area. Now we have 8 primary schools (there is also a secondary partnership) actively engaged in a partnership that is rooted in the literacy curriculum. With the help of creative professionals such as musicians, actors and librarians, the project celebrates reading and encourages pupils and teachers in both countries to share creative presentations based on their reading. The current text we're enjoying is "Giraffes Can't Dance" by Giles Andreae. On 23rd March all Year 4 pupils from Our Lady of Peace RC Junior School in Burnham, Slough, will be performing their version of this story at Royal Holloway, University of London - they have been preparing this in weekly sessions with RHUL Yr 3 Drama students. When two of the coordinators of this project visited Masiphumelele Primary School in Khayelitsha in Feb 2006 we saw the brilliant work they had done on the same book and teachers from about 10 primary schools came together with a Drama lecturer from RHUL, to explore more ways of developing literacy through Drama. A film will be made in the summer term using drums to create a soundscape for creative responses to another book. More events and activities are planned in schools and local libraries. It's vital that the project is sustainable and the BBC Africa Lives pack has been of immeasurable value in giving teachers in both countries ideas for getting started and in making connections that are rooted in the core curriculum. The citizenship element of the partnership is central to the choice of texts and to the creative approaches adopted.
Roisin Beale - Oxfordshire
I work in a Year 2 classroom at a school in Banbury. Our topic this term is 'contrasting localities' and we are learning about Africa and Antarctica. I wondered if there was an education centre that we could visit to learn about Africa. Or a visiting company? Any ideas? Thanks.
Heather Finlay, Portadown
Portadown College has been linked with schools in Kenya for two years now. Last year a team of 10 staff assisted in the building of a school in Masai Land, funded by the work of our students. The experience opened up the opportunity to link with the school that we built and also with Alliance High school in Kikuyu. Last year's trip was so enriching that we have decided to make the visit annually and this year we are taking 18 students to Allinace. There they will participate in lessons at Alliance High School and spend time teaching lessons in local primary schools. They will also be painting an Old People's Home in the area, all of which has been made possible by the support of our local community.
Jonathan Willder, Bath
I have written to the British Council and LCD regarding the use of a personal web site software pack that allows for the simple population of your own personal website with written content, pictures, music, interesting links etc. It seemed to me that if each pupil were to be given their own website, they would be able to communicate in three dimensions what they currently write in an e-mail. Uploaded photos could show children overseas exactly what life is like here ; an MP3 music player incorporated in each site will allow comparison of the music that pupils listen to; pupils could show some of their work / projects on pages that they can create on their site ; joint projects could be developed. We offer this software to customers of our business but my personal interest in the World Class programme drove me to this forum to highlight how it might complement the efforts of participating schools. The site is www.iframe.co.uk. Please let me know your thoughts.
Ashton Park School - Bristol
Ashton Park School have joined forces with a local charity called Maji Safi. Every 2 years we go to a small school just south of Mombasa on the Kenya coast. We are helping to run and build the school. This july a team of 32 students and staff are going out to build 2 classrooms and a football pitch on land bought with money rasied by our students back in Bristol. The 3 week long expedition is the result of 2 years planning and fundraisng including school Discos, Tuck Shops and sponsored events such as Absailing and long distance bike rides. Absolulty every one of the 1200 students at Ashton Park have contributed in one way or another to raising the �5600 needed for this years expedition. On top of all this fundraisng the 32 members of the team have had to raise �1500 each to pay for food, transport and accomodation. This is no ordinary school trip. the team members will be running the day to day activities at Inspirations school during the building phase, and will also be responsible for organsing the food and accomodation while we are in country. A visit to Kenya would not be complete without a Safari, the last 5 days will be spent caming in the Masi Mara, following the game and hoping to spot the big 5. Again the students will be expected to run the camps while on safari. This expedition will be repeated every 2 years until we have increased the number of classrooms from 4 (teaching 200 students) to 10 - giving education to 500 students from the coastal area south of Mombasa. The Aim is to develop the teaching curriculum as we go - adding new classrooms to the school as the pupils get older and need a higher level of education. Some of the money rasied by students at Ashton Park School is used to pay the wages of the teachers at Inspirations! If anyoine wants to find out more about this project, please contact me at the school - you can find us on the internet. Paul Miller.
robert msigwa Makambako
the aim is to build the school in makambako area where there about 450 children whose parents have passsed away with HIV
Tim and Anna Lawrence
We've been teaching in Muhura Rwanda since November 2004. You can read our Blog at www.voicesfromrwanda.org. Our school is twinned with Henry Box school, Witney, Oxon
Helen King, jole rider, UK
The BBC story about the link between the schools for the blind in Sierra Leone and the UK really showed the two-way benefits of international school links. It would be great to see more like this on TV. If you are interested in knowing about how jole rider raises awareness of these two-way benefits, please contact us.
Bay Roberts, Colorado
We are an American elementary school of 350 children and we are currently twinned with the Rock Foundation School (P1-P7; 350 children) in Kampala, Uganda. We are seeking funding to send American teacher(s) to Uganda this summer to work at our twin school. Does anyone have any suggestions where we might look for funding for an American -Ugandan program?
Sally in Bath
I am writing on behalf of the School Development Committee of Bangari Primary School in Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe. There are about 450 pupils who come from small villages in this remote rural community. People here farm on the poor sandy soil around the Masowe River and keep cattle and goats. The school has a hand pump for water but no electricity.
The SDC and Head Mr Lancelot Kajokoto would much appreciate being in contact with a school in the UK. If it was somewhere near Bath this would be a bonus as I live here and could introduce the UK school to all the things that go on at Bangari.
Write back to me here if you are interested.
Yemi Adenuga
I am a Literature in English teacher in Corona Secondary School, Agbara in Nigeria; a world class school that is set to deliver a world class education in all ramification. It is part of our vision to train both the teachers and students of which we have done both locally and abroad. We will like to avail ourselves of any training opportunity that can further enhance our learning and lesson delivery.
Dominic Harkins St. Aidan's School, Glasgow
St. Aidan's has had a link with Chibaya Secondary School in Zimbabwe since 2000. The pupils at St. Aidan's, an SEN secondary in Glasgow's east end, raised funds to buy a new pump for Chibaya, a secondary school serving an impoverished part of Masvingo province. In 2004 our link was resurrected with funds being raised by St. Aidan's staff and puils to build a new classroom block as Chibaya's roll has swollen as result of the AIDS pandemic. This fundraising has been ongoing. The students and staff at St. Aidan's have learnt about life in rural Zimababwe through photographic displays and talks. In return the students at St. Aidan's have produced guides to Glasgow for their counterparts at Chibaya. It is hoped that with improved communication at the Chibaya end more information about day to day life in Zimbabwe would be available for the pupils in Scotland. It would be wonderful to further strengthen ties by more regular two way contact and an exchange visit.
Kapka Kotzakova , Bulgaria
I'm a Bulgarian teacher. I teach biology at First English Language School in Sofia. There is a Biology Club in our school. The students work on different projects: Health, GMO and the Environment, Biodiversity and Ecotourism. We are interested in establishing a partnership with a school in UK.
I believe it will be a wonderful experience for the students, as they will be capable of exchanging ideas and getting acquainted with the respective culture - traditions, as well as history.
Tom Allen Cleethorpes
We are twinned with a school in East Nepal. I have been twice and am going again this Easter (2006). Last time, I took sixth formers and another teacher and we worked in the school which is in the Himalayas. I am a trustee of the Pahar trust that helps build schools in remote regions of Nepal. I am responsible for twinnning schools, so if anyone wants to twin with a school in the Himalayas let me know!
Sharon Leftwich, Polesworth School
On Sunday 22nd January 2006, Polesworth High School held an 'International Day' celebrating their new links with India and China.
Our guests of honour were two teachers and nine students from our new link school: Vidyashram, Jaipur in India. They shared perfromance with us - dance, drama and singing, as well as giving a taster lesson in Hindi.
We also invited guests from The Dixie Grammar School in Market Bosworth who have a link with China to share their experiences with us as our newest Interntaional link is with s school in Schenzhen. As well as an interactive display and a formal presentation, we experienced the basics in Chinese Mandarin in short lesson.
We also shared some aspects of our own culture with our guests - staff, students, parents and govenors form Polesworth as well as the Mayor and Mayoress of Warwickshire and Angela Cook, CEF. A small band led a morning welcome session of barn dancing which got everyone mingling and woke them up!!
The day ended with formal presentations on each of the countries reprented - India, China, UK and also about Ghana by a student who completing an expedition at our first link school last year as part of a group of 24.
The day was enjoyed fully by all.
Richard Torpey, Aylesbury UK
We have an ongoing link with a school in Kenya but were looking to link with other schools as well. A useful focus we found was the Commonwealth Clubs in Schools initiative. Of course many African nations are part of the Commonwealth as well as non-African countries. We have found the values and ideals of the Commonwealth an interesting way of focusing our thoughts about worthwhile link activities. This is especially so with the Commonwealth Games approaching. We shall celebrate Commonwealth Day on March 13th by holding an assembly which passes on messages of greeting from as many Commonwealth schools as we can. We have already sent our greetings out through the Find a Partner information. The Commonwealth Clubs site is at: http://www.globalgateway.org/default.aspx?page=1897
Ashia, Kent
We have found the initiative to be a great success with everybody involved
Robert O'Dowd, Le�n, Spain
Greetings, We are organising a workshop here in Northern Le�n in May this year (19-21st) based on on-line intercultural exchanges and how they can be exploited by foreign language teachers at both secondary and third level.
If anyone is interested, you can find more information about the workshop here at our website:
http://dfm.unileon.es/telecollaboration/index.html
Kim Websdale / Whickham School Gateshead
We are a Sports college in Gateshead and have been in working with students from Egypt on a Dreams and Teams project for the last 4 years. We share ideas about leadership, organise festivals of sport and keep in contact via e-mail and video conferences. Our aim is to learn more about the culture of the Egyptians and to develop sporting links with fellow students. Four students from school have visited Cairo and assisted with the Dreams and Teams Festival of sport. Seven of their students have been to sunny Newcastle and were able to introduce interesting ideas and help with our Mini Olympic festival held at school. We continue to link via video conferences as a group and will be watching the Nations Cup in Cairo with interest as the students hope to link via video conference during the Tournament. Work has been carried out with a number of schools in Alexandria to develop the Dreams and Teams leadership course in schools (run by the British Council) and make it part of their Curriculum. The Minister of Youth for Egypt fully backs the Dreams & Teams project and was amazed to see how well his young students managed and organised a festival of sport for over 400 children. He hopes to see a many more students taking part in the future and was delighted to continue the links with our school in Gateshead.
Bay Roberts, Colorado, USA
Everyone, we have twinned our school here in Boulder, Colorado USA with the Rock Foundation School in Kampala, Uganda. Recently two parents went to visit the Rock Foundation and we spent about two weeks doing activities with every class: activities included having the children make huge maps of their school and community area, fold paper airplanes, write letters and take photos of things in their lives of meaning to them.
Gareth Hughes Wales High School , Rotherham
At Wales High School , we are trying to deliver a full International Curriculum and have links with South Korea , Paraguay , Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Romania and France. Students from South Korea are visiting us in January and other students from Paraguay are coming in March. Last October, our students visited our French partner school and we are hopeful of taking studnets to Romania sometime in 2006. We have also been involved with fund raising for our 2 partner schools in Sri Lanka and our partner school in Tanzania. In 2005 staff have participated in TIPD visits to Paraguay and to Romania. We are also developing more international based activities within the curriculum with Year 7's making African masks, Year 10 students having a question and answer session in their History lessons on life, politics and cultures in Kenya given by a Kenyan national and Sixth Form students History students visiting the Israeli Embassy in London to question the diplomatic staff on recent events in Israel with emphasis on the withdrawl from the Gaza Strip. This year we have developed a Sixth Form Course 'Sri Lankan Business and Enterprise Course' in which students develop business and enterprise skills whist fundraising for our 2 partner schools in Sri Lanka . This also helps them to develop more cultural awareness of othe societies.
Cathryn/New Zealand
Our school's twin is a Japeneese School. Every second year some pupils from our sxchool are selected to go to japan and visit them and every other year they visit our school. We had a compitition against them last time they came to our school during assembly time. It was the Japaneese pupils with their abacus' and our best mathematitional pupils with their calculators finding out a very large multiplication. The Japaneese pupils won by far! It was amazing to watch; they were SO fast!
Liz Macfarlane, Rawlins Community College, Quorn,
We are linked with No. 2 Middle School, Luzhou, China. Last October 4 teaching staff from Rawlins went on a TIPD trip to investigate creativity within the chinese curriculum. Just this week staff and students from Luzhou visited Rawlins and, as well as coming to lessons and participating in music and dance workshops with our students, put on performances for the local community,our partner primary and high schools and our students. Another 4 staff are due to go out to China and research issues relating to gifted and talented students through the TIPD programme, and staff involved in the original creativity focus visit are planning to take students in 2006. We aim to link Art, Music and Media and participate in joint curriculum projects with the chinese students.
Sr. Catherine
The Notre Dame School in Cobham Surrey has twinned with our sister school, called "Rainbow" in Albania over the past few years. We have raised money to help the Sisters in Albania to build the new school as the children were being taught in three different buildings. The project was finished just a few months ago and I am happy to say that the official opening is now taking place on Saturday 8th October. However we felt that it wasn't enough just to help them build a school and our 6th form students volunteered to go over for ten days in 2003 and teach English in their summer school. The project was a wonderful success. In July 2006 another group is going out to give a helping hand and we know that it will be just as much fun as the first one. The Albanian children are so eager to learn Enlgish and work very hard. They love music and can tell you all the latest pop stars although they have a strong sense of their own culture and were eager to show us local dances and music - it was very much a two way learning process. I would recommend that as many schools as possible to twin with schools outside our own culture it is a wonderful learning curve.Sr. Catherine O.D.N.
Andrew Trotman, Warden, St Edward's School, Oxford
St Edward�s Oxford is the first school in the UK to establish a Microfinance Trust Bank, which will offer people in developing countries the �micro� business loans they need to help break out of poverty.
The average loan size is less than �150 and is used to create employment opportunities to enable people to become self-sufficient. As 98% of loans are repaid, the major benefit of micro credit is that the loan funds can be reused again and again, to help more and more people.
�The students feel strongly that they want to help provide long-term, continuous help to people in poorer countries,� said Andrew Trotman, Warden of St Edward�s. �Microfinance is a totally new initiative for schools in the UK and we�re determined to be at the forefront of changing the way schools donate to charity to help alleviate world poverty.�
St Edward�s first Trust Bank will be in Indonesia and the school already has plans to establish future Trust Banks in Ghana and Peru.
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