This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Schools Africa exchange programme
13/09/2005
An Orkney school has this week played host to five teenagers from Malawi as part of the prize for winning the Scottish Schools Africa Challenge competition.
Daniel Connor, Head Teacher of Sanday School said today that the exchange visit was a 'tremendous learning opportunity'.
The Malawi students, from Minga Community Day secondary school, are on a week long exchange visit to Sanday Community School.
Earlier this year, five pupils from Sanday accompanied the First Minister Jack McConnell on a visit to Malawi after winning the Scottish Schools Africa Challenge competition.
Mr Connor said:
"This has been a tremendous learning opportunity for all concerned. On their way to Sanday the Malawian pupils were met in Edinburgh by the Sanday pupils who had been out to Malawi. They looked round the Scottish parliament, visited Dynamic Earth, met the First Minister (again!) and soaked up the atmosphere of Scotland.
"Here in Sanday there has been a real gelling. Our visitors have sampled the delights of island life - our beautiful beaches, the steam railway and warm Sanday hospitality through the youth club and the community association. They've joined in lessons, learnt to play the fiddle and taught us about life in Malawi. There is now a really strong bond developing between our pupils and this, we know, will lead to a very worth-while link between the schools.
"Sanday is fired up to help Minga with resources. We've already raised over £1000. But this is certainly not one way traffic. We are learning from our new friends about commitment to learning (many of the Minga youngsters walk over 10 km to school everyday) and we are planning an exchange of information and experiences through email, electronic imaging, video conferencing and other links that will drive our citizenship education for a long time, as well as strengthening our learning about geography and natural history.
"We all feel immensely privileged to be part of this project. All the youngsters have accepted the responsibility that goes with it to spread the message of the urgent need for greater global justice and equality. We are also confident, judging by the way that both the Malawian and the Orcadian youngsters have responded to the challenge, that the next generation is well placed to do better than we have done to make the world a better place to live in."