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Global School Partnership

Name of our school: LOURDES CENTRAL SCHOOL
BIJAI, MANGALORE, INDIA.
Name of our partner school: PILTON BLUECOAT C of E JUNIOR
SCHOOL, BARNSTAPLE, DEVON,UK.
Global dimension theme for your Diversity
Partnership (for the year 2009-10): Sustainable Development

A) Introduction to the Partnership:

It all started when our South Zone Manager of the British Council Ms Samyukta Balakrishnan broached on the topic of Global School Partnership. We were indeed excited to discover International Dimension within the school curriculum and to involve the whole school in it. Though it has been a herculean task yet it has brought rewards in bounty. Lourdes Central School has formulated an international policy with Pilton the Bluecoat C of E Junior School, Devon. Keeping the eight key projects in mind in the first year we touched upon Global Citizenship. Our first visit to our partner school was in Oct. 2008. We carried with us handmade brochures describing the criteria for Indian Citizenship, age for education, voting, marriage, retirement and also senior citizenship. The students of Pilton had a unique interaction with us and definitely we were able to wipe out certain negative impression that they had of Indians.

In the second year we took up Diversity and Sustainable Development. The pupils collected information on diverse range of topics including culture, custom, traditions, carbon foot prints, bio diversity and the like. As a part of sustainable development the whole school joined together to create an awareness on rain water harvesting to the general public. Pupils took part in debates, elocution, Power Point Presentations, slogan writing competitions etc.There was a tremendous and over whelming activity in the school campus and our partner school students received information and took part in quiz.

B) Relevance of Global Education/Global Dimension for your school:

Our partnership with Pilton the Bluecoat Church of England Junior School, Devon, UK has been a brilliant experience. Comparing the curricula of both the schools, we have found many things in common. We have e-linked sixty six students between the ages of ten and twelve studying in class V to VII. Students are exchanging information through E-mail and chatting through Rafi.ki.kidogo and also video conferencing. The Global theme “The World is my Oyster” was celebrated on a grand scale during the school’s Annual day. It was an enriching experience as exclaimed by the Head teacher of our partnership school Mr Mulligan. Our students have become more confident and choose to be dynamic Global citizens and through this global partnership we look forward to enriching and be enriched experience. Cultural exchange has a tremendous impact on us and has helped us in broadening our outlook about each other’s country.

C) Joint project completed/being implemented under the partnership.

Teachers presented the projects on Carbon Foot Print and Sustainable development, Social and Cultural Diversity of India, Bio-diversity of India and Rain Water Harvesting to the students of Pilton Bluecoat School.
Diversity
Indian families, Traditions, Customs
Interviews and Reflections.
• India being a sub continent known for its diversity in the field of religion, traditions culture and its costumes.
• The people of India converse in 1652 languages.
• With all its diversity, its amazing that with one billion population India could unite all its people.
• Under diversity the sub topics like costumes, joint family vs. nuclear family, Gurukul System vs. Classroom setup were focused. Sustainable Development:
• Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for future generations.
• Sustainable development ties together concern for the carrying capacity of natural systems with the social challenges facing humanity.
Environmental sustainability is the process of making sure current processes of interaction with the environment are pursued with the idea of keeping the environment as pristine as naturally possible based on ideal seeking behavior
What is Carbon Foot print?
It is the set of GHG (Green House GAS) emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product. Your Carbon Foot print is the sum of all emissions of CO2 which were induced by your activities in a given time frame. Probably the biggest contributors to your foot print are
1)Your travel needs
2)Electricity demands at home
3)Your diet.
4)Clothes you wear.
All these actions contribute to accelerating global warming and climate change.
Immediate Steps- Green Living Tips:
1. Change your eating habits- adopt plant based diet.
2. Go green at homes and at work- Recycle, compost, stop drinking bottled water.
3. Walk, jog, bicycle to work, walk walkable distances.
4. Encourage all members to be conservative-create a sustainable environment at home and where ever you go.
Super Green Tips:
1) Purchase solar Power, bio fuel driven or hybrid vehicle.
2) Purchase a solar energy system for your home
3) Purchase solar powered hot water heaters.
4) Plant a yearly garden to offset your carbon foot print, enhance your health and decrease your food bills dramatically.
5) Opt for organic detergents, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, house hold chemicals and food sources.
Global dimension Resource used for the project:
1. www.globalgateway.org.uk
2. www.rafi.ki

D) Future plans for the partnership for the year 2010-2011:

We have planned the following topics:
1) Human Rights-Knowing about Human Rights including the human convention on the Rights of the child.
2) Values and Perceptions: Developing a critical evaluation of representations of Global issues and an appreciation of the effect these have on people’s attitudes and values.
In 2010 Oct. ten students along with two teachers and the GSP coordinator will be visiting the partner school. In 2011 Feb. The same number from the partner school will be visiting our school. This will enable the students to have a detailed study of the ongoing partnership.

LCS Principal Ms Grace Noronha,GSP Coordinator Ms Joy Rai and Head teacher Mr. Paul Mulligan , Ian Thomas GSP Coordinator of Pilton School,Devon,U.K

SECOND VISIT TO BARNSTAPLE,DEVON,U.K OCTOBER 2009

Visit to the U.K by Ms Grace Noronha, Principal along with the team of Lourdes Central School Staff on Global School Partnership

Principal Ms Grace Noronha with three teachers Ms Violet D’Souza , Ms Rekha Shetty and Ms Linet D’Souza visited Pilton Bluecoat Church of England, Junior School,Barnstaple, Devon from 3rd Oct – 14th Oct 2009 . The team interacted with various dignitaries like the Mayor of Barnstaple and Mr Nick Harvey ,a Member of Parliament, the members of staff, students ,parents and governors of the partnership school Pilton Bluecaot School,Devon. Teachers presented the projects on ‘Sustainable development and diversity of India’ to the students of Pilton bluecoat School.

The group visited some of the important land marks of Devon like Guild hall-Barnstaple, Alington Court, Buckfast Abbey and Clovelly . The teachers had an enriching experience visiting educational institutions like Pathfield Junior and Senior school for Special Children, where in they were given one to one care and they are trained to become independent by developing their talent . On visiting Chulmleigh Community College the group interacted with teaching staff and students and learnt their system of education. The visit to the United Kingdom was a very enriching experience for schools of both the Countries and was made a memorable one, so says Ms Grace Noronha Principal.Thanks to the British Council for encouraging the ties between the two countries which helps the students to develop global citizenship.

Visit to United Kingdom under Department for International Development (DFID) Programme

As a part of the third year Global School Partnership our team a combination of three staff members and five students headed by the GSP coordinator Ms Joy Rai took up the journey to London, U.K on 9th of October 2010.After spending an exciting and challenging week there the team returned to Mangalore, India on 17th October 2010.Ms Shaila Pereira our Social Science teacher expresses that it has been a wonderful opportunity to exchange views on education with the partner school. ”Though there is not much difference in the curriculum I was very much amazed to see the colourful and bright class room settings. Equal opportunities are given to all students including slow learners. The idea of forest education makes the children more eco friendly “she says.

Mr. Ivan Mascarenhas our music teacher says “my visit to Pilton Bluecoat C of E School, Devon, U.K. It was indeed an eye opener to me. This being my first international trip I found hosts full of courtesy and cordiality. The people of U.K are disciplined, well mannered and polite. They are very time conscious and plan every event meticulously. They strictly follow the traffic rules and regulations and give preference to the pedestrians to cross the roads. Compassion towards animals and love for nature is practiced by all citizens”.

This is what our student team had to say.

“We were impatient, as we were nearing our destination for which we had awaited for one and half year. Excitement, anxiety and fear bubbled within us as we landed in the Heathrow airport of London, one of the biggest airports in the world. We felt proud and considered ourselves lucky because we was given the chance of going to United Kingdom and learn more about it. We experienced the cold weather of London during our four hours journey from Heathrow to Barnstaple even with jackets on.

Barnstaple was very different from what we had imagined. It was a very quite, clean place with lots of greenery spread everywhere. It was so soothing when we stood outside in the garden of the place we stayed. Barnstaple is splendidly magnificent. The accommodation was wonderful both at Manu Patels holiday home and the Longstones Home. The exciting part of the stay in the holiday home was cooking breakfast ourselves. We felt a sense of pride that we are grown up, that we can buy groceries from the supermarket and cook without being dependent on our parents. The food was nice, quite bland but any day we would prefer Mangalorean fish curry.

The Pilton Blue Coat school structure and atmosphere was very pleasant. The students and faculty were very welcoming. We had lot of questions pondering in our minds about how the students will interact with us. What will their approach be etc but when we started interacting with them all our fears vanished. The students interacted so very nicely. They made us feel very comfortable and confident throughout. We loved their interest and enthusiasm in the GSP project. We learnt a lot from the students and teachers, especially addressing the adults by Mr. and Ms. i.e. Mr. Thomas, Ms Gregory and the like. The most important thing we learnt is to practise Mannerism i.e. to use the two magical words Thank You and Please and to wait till everyone has finished eating on the dinning table even though you are done. What surprised us during our interaction is that family values were lacking in UK compared to India. We felt this is very necessary in the upbringing of a child.

Indian cultural evening at school was very amazing. We were spellbound when the children danced Bharathnatyam. The songs they sang and the way they were trained was marvellous. We enjoyed our visit to various places such as Lynton, Lynmouth, London and Crealy Amusement park. Visit to the Mayor’s Office and interacting with the Mayor will never be forgotten by us. The Barnstaple Shilling presented to each one of us will be treasured as a lucky charm. The compassionate heart of Ms. Elizabeth Banks, at our home stay was remarkable.

Our visit to Barn Staple and UK under GSP was a good learning experience for all us and we assume it was the same for the students of The Pilton Bluecoat School. Such programmes are surely a stepping stone in building a world of mutual trust and harmony.

GSP Coordinator Ms Joy Rai sums up by saying “though India and U.K are poles apart in connection with culture, tradition, food and costumes, yet there is an invisible string connecting the two countries especially the two schools in a bond of friendship that will last for a number of years.”