Praise for school's links with Sri Lanka and Pakistan
Andrew Mitchell today met with children from a Keighley school to find out about their educational partnership with schools in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell today met with children from a Keighley school to find out about their educational partnership with schools in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Mr Mitchell took questions from young people at Holy Family Catholic School as he paid a visit following a Cabinet meeting in Bradford.
He praised the school’s work, as part of the Global Schools Partnership, funded by the Department for International Development and run by a consortium including the British Council.
Through the Partnership, teachers from Holy Family have hosted teachers from their ‘twin school’, in order to develop joint projects for their pupils, focused on global issues.
So far students in both countries have worked together on projects to compare food and diet, explore the causes of disease and to learn about different religions.
The school has recently agreed to partner the Islamabad Convent School in Pakistan, with students from both schools due to take part in joint projects in the near future.
Speaking after the visit, Mr Mitchell said:
It is encouraging to see so many young people at Holy Family School interested in learning about the world they live in. Through these partnerships with schools overseas, they are able to make the most of the opportunity to understand day to day life for their peers in other countries.
The world is changing quickly and so it is vital that the youth of today are equipped with the knowledge and understanding to make sense of tomorrow’s challenges.
Funded by the Department for International Development, the Global School Partnerships scheme supports teachers and students from UK to learn about global issues, together with partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Schools involved in the programme receive grants and support to develop projects together, with the aim of developing young people’s commitment to a fairer, more sustainable world.