Perceptions about cultures and the development of sub-Saharan Africa and UK students as global citizens were high on the agenda at the second Connecting Classrooms contact seminar, held at the British Council offices in Addis Abba in July 2009.

The meeting, which was attended by district authorities, head teachers and teachers, aimed to forge closer links and build relationships among those present.

Connecting Classrooms is a British Council initiative that partners schools in Africa with those in the UK. This initiative allows for intercultural dialogue and teaches children about other cultures, thereby encouraging them to be global citizens.

According to the press release marking the event, the seminar challenged assumptions that the participants had of each other’s cultures and enabled them to get to know and understand each other better.

‘They shared each other’s education systems, looking for similarities and differences between their education authorities and schools to determine what would facilitate and enhance partnerships between them,’ says the release.

District Education Officer David Ole Keis from Nigeria was happy to meet fellow teachers from other regions.

‘I look forward to working with them collaboratively on continued professional development, improving the quality and diversity of teaching and learning methodologies and resources.’

The intended outcome of the seminar was that the schools and education authorities would develop collaborative learning through joint curriculum projects.

Those projects will engage students in communication with each other, exchanging knowledge, thereby motivating them to communicate in English and to learn about each other’s countries.

Rhian Morris, a teacher in the Khomanani Partnership a South African campaign that aims to reduce HIV and increase treatment and support for those infected says, Connecting Classrooms is a fantastic opportunity for teachers and pupils to gain an understanding of another culture and education system.

‘It enables pupils to work in a global context and contributes to their development and knowledge of global citizenship.’

To find out more about Connecting Classrooms, visit this page. To read more about British Council events and programmes, please visit this page. Read our latest news here: News in Africa section.