The partnership between Little Angels’ Sapling, Mumbai and Queensury School, Birmingham started informally in April 2010 started with writing letters to each other. We immediately recognised that we had much in common and when one of the Queensbury teachers, Cara McInerney, visited us we realised just how much potential the partnership had.
The partnership has opened a window into a different culture for us. Observing a more informal method of teaching and wide use of modern technology to enhance the teaching-learning process has enriched our own teaching styles and we hope to make better use of the technology at our disposal. Most of our students have limited experience of other cultures and this partnership has exposed them to a world that for all its unfamiliarity is still peopled by children like them with whom they can communicate.
Our partnership has a special focus on Citizenship and the Rights and Responsibilities of a Child. To drive home the point that people are alike all over the world, students of both schools exchanged letters about themselves, their hobbies and interests. As the students of both schools have special needs and struggle with communication, the letters have been an invaluable tool in enhancing their communication skills.
Our students have begun to think about what rights actually mean and they are striving to relate that to their responsibilities. One of the most memorable moments was when one of our students expressed delight about the existence of a copyright law since he thought that it was a right to copy during exams! Such innocent moments will be remembered forever. On a serious note though, the students now think twice before buying pirated music CDs and DVDs.
The values of honesty, courage, compassion, responsibility and respect have now begun to take on a new meaning and our students have started relating these to their lives. As Siddarth said, “I respect Anuj because even though he has had many operations, he still tries his best to walk without help.” The ethos of the schools and our objectives remain the same: to transform students into productive citizens by offering them myriad learning experiences, geared towards enhancing their self-confidence and motivation.