04 February 2010
Pupils from Northern Ireland today met UK Minister for International Development, Mike Foster, to talk about how links to schools in developing countries are helping them learn about global issues that affect us all.
St Joseph’s College on Ravenhill Road Belfast – one of the latest schools to join up to the Global School Partnerships programme – hosted the visit which included pupils and teachers from Glenlola Collegiate, Bangor.
Glenlola have been involved in the Global School Partnerships scheme since 2008. A joint project with their partner school in Ghana showed that climate change was having a direct impact on the fishing industries in both countries.
Mike Foster, Minister for International Development said:
"The Global School Partnership is a great way for children to learn more about the world they live in and the issues affecting their future. Today I saw at first hand how education links between schools throughout the world make global issues relevant and interesting for young people. Now we want more schools to join up and become global citizens by bringing the world into their classroom."
Oonagh Byers, who heads up St Joseph’s partnership scheme said:
“Through the Global Schools Partnerships programme, we are delighted at having the opportunity to strengthen our links with the world, and in particular with Phembe School in Malawi. We relish the opportunity to learn and share from those from very different cultures to ourselves. We look forward to establishing a long lasting partnership with our Malawian counterparts.”
In offering tips and information about Glenlola School’s experience of working with the school in Ghana, the Head of Curriculum Dr Carolyn Larmour said:
“Glenlola is very creative in its approach to developing new resources and interests for its pupils across the whole curriculum. The Global School Partnerships programme has enabled us to establish a very practical and exciting link with teaching staff and pupils in Sakumono. Students involved in the project will grapple with urgent issues affecting wetlands and the marine environment - pollution, over-fishing and climate change. The partnership between our own school and Sakumono Complex '2' School has highlighted the immense capacity of young people to solve some of the challenges around sustainable development."
Glenlola Collegiate student, Hollie Clements, described how a project on a migratory bird with links to both countries established their partnership with Sakumono Complex '2' School:
“The Roseate Tern project allowed us to experience first hand the birds in their own habitat – and even better our Ghanaian friends were doing the same thing, near their own school, at the same time.”
The Global School Partnerships programme funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development, and delivered by the British Council, has been running in Northern Ireland since 2003, and gives students the opportunity to explore global issues such as sustainable development, human rights and Fair-trade. There are currently 20 schools supported through the programme in Northern Ireland and there are ambitious targets to involve 100 schools in total by March 2012.
Schools wanting to find out more about the Global School Partnerships programme and how to get involved can attend Introductory Workshops in Armagh and Belfast in February and March.
1. For more information about Global School Partnerships, visit www.britishcouncil.org/globalschools or contact 0131 524 5780 / globalschools@britishcouncil.org. Schools in the Belfast and Armagh areas that want to find out more can attend an Introductory Global School Partnerships Workshop in:
Please contact kevin.quinn@britishcouncil.org for further details:
2. The Global School Partnerships programme is funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development (DFID). DFID is leading the UK government’s fight against global poverty.
3. It is delivered by a consortium of the British Council, Cambridge Education Foundation, UK One World Linking Association and VSO.
4. The Department for International Development (DFID) is leading the UK Government’s fight against global poverty. DFID supports initiatives that promote understanding amongst children and young people about the wider world and global issues in the UK. www.dfid.gov.uk
5. The Global Schools Partnership programme has been active in Northern Ireland since 2003. Schools with partnerships are widely distributed throughout Northern Ireland, with representative institutions in all five education boards. Partner countries include Ghana, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Uganda, Kenya and Malawi. There is also a pilot programme working with the Education Authority in the Limavady area that includes 11 local schools and 11 schools from the Limpopo region in South Africa. There will be a South African delegation visiting Limavady in March 2010, with a return visit in April.
6. The Global School Partnerships programme promotes partnerships between schools in the UK and in 56 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and has supported more than 2,000 UK schools to date. It provides advice and guidance, professional development opportunities and grants to schools to develop partnerships and promote global education through their curriculum.
7. The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. Celebrating 75 years in 2009, we work in over 100 countries worldwide to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people. We work in the arts, education, English, science, sport and governance and last year we engaged face to face with 13.2 million people and reached 221 million. We are a non-political organisation which operates at arm’s length from government.
Issued on behalf of DFID by COI News and PR.
Contact: Mark Fenwick – mark.fenwick@coi.gsi.gov.uk – 020 7261 8541.
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