British Council calls for students’ int’l exposure

Nyagatare – The British Council has called on school authorities in Nyagatare District to cultivate relations between their schools and students and their counterparts in other parts of the world. Silas Udahemuka, an official with the Council, said during a workshop, last Thursday, that the Council initiated a project known as ‘connecting classrooms’ which establishes and develops long-term and sustainable partnerships between schools and students in the UK and the rest of the world. He said such a programme helps develop positive attitudes in young people towards each others’ countries. “Before this project was developed, research showed that young people in the UK assumed Africa was one place, hot, dry and poor. At the same time, the young ones in Africa thought that the UK people were white, rich, superior and mono-cultural. The intention of connecting classrooms is to clear this bad attitude,” he said. Currently, three schools in Nyagatare District have developed partnerships with schools in the UK and three others in Uganda’s Bushenyi District. In a separate interview with The Sunday Times, Udahemuka said that, among other things connecting classrooms will bring, is facilitating the young globally to develop skills and create opportunities to become global citizens and act as agents of positive social change. “The project is a fantastic opportunity for teachers and pupils to gain an understanding of another culture and education system. It enables students to work in a global context and contributes to their development and knowledge of global citizenship,” he said. Robert Gasana, a head teacher at Rwisirabo Secondary School, who was among the first Rwandan head teachers to tour UK schools, said that ‘connecting classrooms’ was vital as it brings together young academicians to interact and share global experiences. “I am among the Rwandan head teachers who toured UK schools. We learned a lot on teaching methodologies in there and realized that they, too, have a lot to learn from Rwandan schools,” he said. Ends