UKIERI-sept 20-28th teachers visit to UK

BBPS CLUSTER

UKIERI VISIT TO UNITED KINGDOM

20TH SEPTEMBER 2008 TO 28TH SEPTEMBER 2008



An eight member team from the six Bal Bharati Public School Units in Delhi and NCR visited the United Kingdom from 20th September 2008 to 28th September 2008 under the aegis of UKIERI Project. The team comprise of MR. G Gupta, Principal, BBPS Brij Vihar, Ms. Rekha Sharma, Principal, BBPS Rohini, Ms Kavita Dhar, Headmistress, BBPS, Pitampura, Ms Geeta Gangwani, BBPS, Ganga Ram Marg, Ms Miti Dhingra, BBPS ROHINI, Ms Renu Ajay, BBPS Brij Vihar, Mr Mukesh Tewatia, BBPS, Noida, Ms Amrita Malhotra, BBPS, Dwarka.

The stress of the visit was to focus on an understanding of the varied education system in both the countries and to formulate long term educational links leading to an over all enrichment on both ends.

VISIT TO NCHS— THE SCIENCE COLLEGE
DATE: 22ND SEPTEMBER 2008

The visit started on a positive note with the warm welcome at NCHS- THE SCIENCE COLLEGE. The team attended the full school assembly where the Head teacher, Mr Neil Hutchinson extended a very warm welcome to the guests from India. Ms Rekha Sharma, Principal BBPPS, Rohini, addressed the assembly and spoke at length about the benefits accrued from this fruitful partnership between the India and the UK clusters and the future hopes that all have from this collaboration. The guests were welcomed with an enthralling performance of the school’s African drum band and an Eco Watch Presentation by the school students. Ms. Sharma, on behalf of the BBPS cluster, presented a gold inlay work plaque to Mr Neil Hutchinson as a token of our appreciation and extended relationship.






This was followed by a tour of the school escorted by the members of the Students Council which gave the team an opportunity to take a closer look at the teaching methodologies and the infrastructure used by the staff members. The team also was able to observe the laboratories and attend subject specific class rooms where they got a chance to interact on a deeper level with the teachers and the students.



VISIT TO St JOSEPH’S PREPARATORY SCHOOL AND CEDERS
DATE: 23RD SEPTEMBER 2008

The day began with the visit to St Joseph’s Preparatory School, where the team was welcomed by the Head Teacher, Ms Susan Hutchinson. A short cultural programme was organized in the school’s multi purpose hall by the students, whose excitement and enthusiasm was clearly visible on their faces.




The students put forth a ballet performance, gymnastic display, Eco Club presentation and a group song to welcome the guests. Ms Kavita Dhar, Head Mistress, BBPS, Pitam pura addressed the assembly and emphasized on the beneficial impact of the exchange programme on both the schools while appreciating the combined efforts of the students and the staff in giving the team such a hearty welcome.

The visiting team also put up a Diwali Display and a power point presentation connecting the festival of light with social issues such as child labour and heightened pollution. The presentation was received very well by the students who had many questions to pose. The mythological tale of Lord Rama and Sita and their 14 year exile was received with nods of comprehension as they had read the story as part of their India Week Celebrations. Moreover, they had put up a display about the story and the abduction of Sita by the Demon Lord Ravana at the school entrance itself.





The afternoon was devoted to a visit to C.E.D.A.R.D.S, a referral unit where students with behavioral and adjustment problems are sent to. The schools in UK follow a ZERO TOLERANCE approach in their schools and students who are unable to adjust to the stress and rigours of the main stream schools are sent to the CEDARS referral UNIT. The school provides such students with vocational training in addition to following the National Curriculum but allows them flexibility to set their own short term and long term goals to ease out the stress. The aim of these units is to provide support and guidance required by such students and to reintegrate them into the main stream schools as soon as possible.



VISIT TO St JOHN FISHER CATHOLIC SCHOOL
DATE: 24TH SEPTEMBER 2008

The team began their visit with attending a catholic mass in the school chapel followed by an interactive session with the teachers to understand the system of religious education provided in various faith schools in UK. The team presented the Diwali display which lead to an active session with the school students during with a lot of questions were asked. The students could easily pinpoint the socio- environmental impact of the festival and asked some pertinent questions regarding the same from the team members.

This was followed by a tour of the school premises to take a closer look at the various facilities on offer to the students. The team also got the opportunity to observe a religious education class with was attended not only by the students of the school but also by the students of a local college.


IMPACT AND THE BENEFITS OF THE UKIERI PROJECT

The partnership programme has wide and deep reaching impact on the both the clusters. The visit was an eye opener and iconoclastic in a manner of speaking. A lot of stereotypes about the quality of education and the attitudes of the children regarding education were shattered with the visit. For both sides the programme has resulted in opening of the mind and learning about a culture entirely different from theirs. The common agenda of creating global citizens with broader and more tolerant world view has found a boost with the starting of this project in both the clusters. The differences in the working styles and the attitudes can only be complementary to each other as both ends learn from this exposure to new and variegated experience.

There are many things that we can learn from this visit to the various schools in the UK and the first thing is to create a more students friendly environment to facilitate the learning process in the students. Their creativity and natural curiosity has to be nurtured and this can be done easily by adopting a more interactive communicative approach to teaching in the class room. The teacher has to take on the role of facilitator rather than the provider of all the information.

The infrastructure at the disposal of the teachers, even state-run schools, can only add up to the benefits for the students. Easy access to ICT tools such as Interactive white boards, Projectors, Internet and so on in every classroom allows a free flow of creativity and new ideas where by the teachers can plan their lessons more effectively and interestingly.

FUTURE PLANS

The activities in the year one of the partner ship focused more on getting to know each other and now that the initial common ground has been established the focus would shift to a more in-depth and comprehensive understanding of each others’ cultures and society. All activities in the second year of the partnership aim at strengthening the past ties established and allowing the students a deeper access to the innate qualities of both the countries.



MITI DHINGRA
BBPS, ROHINI