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Education: Games without frontiers help Leeds pupils think globally
Pupils take part in a Kabaddi lesson at Crawshaw School.
Sport is a particularly excellent way of connecting cultures and breaking through barriers and our Global School Partnership scheme has made the world outside real and personal for our students.
Susan Press finds out how sport is forging global links at a Leeds school
Pupils from Crawshaw School in Pudsey got a taste of a sport of a different kind when teachers from their Indian partner school visited this week.
The trip by four staff from the town of Kangra in northern India was part of the Global Schools Partnership programme, a government-funded education initiative which aims to widen young people’s knowledge of the world around them.
Funded by the Department for International Development, the scheme helps UK teachers and students learn more about global issues by building links with schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Crawshaw’s partner school was making its second visit to the UK – and one of the highlights of the week was lessons in the traditional game of kabaddi.
Around 150 PE students were coached in the rules of the game, which combines the skills of military drill and martial arts as two teams aim to win points by tagging or wrestling each other.
The finer points of other traditional sporting pursuits stappu and kho-kho were also explained by the Indian teachers.
Crawshaw’s international co-ordinator and ICT teacher Steve Smyth said: “This scheme is a fantastic opportunity for our students and teachers.
“It enables us to discuss global issues like peace, conflict, diversity and sustainability as well as learn more about our different cultures and also the similarities we share.
“Sport is a particularly excellent way of connecting cultures and breaking through barriers and our Global School Partnership scheme has made the world outside real and personal for our students.
“The opportunity to share ideas and work together face-to-face with our colleagues from India is very motivating for everyone involved.”
The four teachers from India also passed on lessons in basic Hindu and geography and English.
Headteacher Joanna Ruse said: “Crawshaw’s links with India have impacted on students and staff across both schools and the global community aspect is something that we actively work into the school curriculum as much as possible.
“We see the development of international community links as key to our future development in a fast growing global environment.”
Crawshaw teachers visited India in October last year and the two schools are now working together to try and set up a student exchange next year.
The Indian visitors also enjoyed a taste of Yorkshire life outside the school with a trip to Elland Road stadium, a shopping trip to Leeds city centre, and a seaside excursion to Whitby – and a Goth weekend!
A tour of the Houses of Parliament in London was also planned before they return home next week.
All schools involved in the Global School Partnerships scheme receive grants and support to visit their partner school and develop projects together, with the aim of developing young people’s commitment to a fairer, more sustainable world.
To date, the initiative has forged partnerships between schools in the UK and 57 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. It has supported more than 3000 UK schools to date.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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