ENGLAND schools celebrate International Education Week

Schools across the country are celebrating the British Council’s International Education Week 2012, which runs from 12-16 November.

The week celebrates the work by UK schools to prepare children for life in a global society and work in a global economy. This takes many forms, including developing partnerships with schools in other countries, carrying out international study visits and exchanges, online collaboration, and hosting Foreign Language Assistants. International Education Week provides a chance to reflect on the achievements of the last year.

Schools are marking the week with a wide range of activities. Among the highlights:

• Ruislip High School in North London is introducing an international element into every lesson for the week – including PE, where students will learn to play Bangladeshi sport Kabaddi.
• Upton-by-Chester High School in Cheshire is one of many schools taking part in daily online debates organised by BBC World Class, discussing how young people around the world can ‘use their voice’ to make a difference in their schools, communities and the wider world.
• Pupils at Little Ridge Community Primary School in East Sussex have been voting on how to celebrate – and have opted for activities including a day of Chinese cookery and creating a new international flag.

Fostering an international dimension in the curriculum is at the heart of the British Council’s work with schools, and this year the organisation presented more than 700 schools nationwide with the International School Award – which recognises schools that do exceptional work to bring the world into their classrooms.

Vicky Gough from the British Council’s Schools team said: “International Education Week is a chance to celebrate all the inspirational work that goes on in schools to help our young people connect with other young people around the world and help them become global citizens. International education brings learning to life, builds trust and understanding between cultures and communities and gives students the skills they need to compete in a global economy.

“We know that international education is vital for our young people. Employers are telling us that they value international skills every bit as much as exam results – but they’re also concerned that not enough people in the UK are graduating with these skills.”

Alice Beste, International Coordinator at Ruislip High School – which has links with schools in China, Denmark and France through programmes including Connecting Classrooms and E-Twinning - said: “International education is important to us as we believe it widens the students' horizons and stimulates ways of thinking beyond local contexts. We aim to embed international activities across the school curriculum. We would like all of our students to take an active interest in international education and learning, through which they will develop an understanding of other cultures and a sense of their role and responsibility as global citizens.”

The theme for this week’s International Education Week is ‘use your voice’. Nationally-organised events include daily online debates in association with BBC World Class, and interactive presentations for schools on how to use Skype in the Classroom to improve their international links.

Schools can find out everything they need to know about international education at British Council Schools Online: http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/