News

Friday 26 October 2007

Indian school links promoted through Nottingham Trent University

Schools in Nottinghamshire have joined forces with their counterparts in India to help promote the concept of global citizenship in the classroom. The Nottinghamshire-India School Linking Project, initiated by Anna Disney from Nottingham Trent University’s School of Education, is a well established and thriving example of local and international partnership. The schools involved have obtained funding from the Department for International Development to facilitate the development of these links.

As part of the project a party of twelve Indian teachers will be visiting a number of schools in the county to observe lessons, familiarise themselves with the locality and spend time planning shared projects for the children. Their week-long itinerary (starting 29 October) also includes a visit to the university’s School of Education to gain an insight into primary teacher training, and a civic reception at County Hall on 2 November.

The project began in 2000 as a collaboration between Nottingham Trent University, one school in Nottinghamshire and another in India. It has now grown into a network involving nine Nottingham Trent University partnership schools and five Indian high schools.

Anna Disney said: “International school linking has an important role to play in helping children develop awareness of the wider world. Through these links they are able to communicate with children living in another part of the world, share experiences and work on shared projects. They find they have much in common and are motivated to learn from and with each other. It widens their horizons, challenges their preconceptions and helps to stimulate their curiosity about the world at large.

“The schools involved in the project have all been very positive about the way their links have contributed to the curriculum, fostered cultural understanding and created warm, international friendships. The teacher reciprocal visits are an important part of the project and provide opportunities for teachers to get together and learn from each other.”

ENDS

Notes for editors:

The partnership schools taking part in the School Linking Project are: Church Drive Primary School, Arnold; Fairfield Primary School, Stapleford; George Spencer Foundation School and Technology College, Stapleford; Pierrepont Gamston Primary School, Coledale; Redhill School, Arnold; Richard Bonington Primary and Nursery School, Arnold; Rushcliffe School, West Bridgford.

*The Sutton Centre Community College and Carsic Primary Schools, both in Sutton in Ashfield, are also part of the project although they are not receiving teachers on this visit.

Press enquiries please contact: Dave Rogers, Press Officer, on +44 (0)115 848 8782, or via email: dave.rogers@ntu.ac.uk.

Or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email: therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk.