PONT - partnerships tackling poverty together

EDUCATION and SCHOOLS

The main purpose of the Education and Schools section of PONT is to create friendship links between schools in Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Mbale region of Eastern Uganda and to:

• Extend Pupils/Staff's views of the world, embracing the concept of Global Citizenship.
• Enable pupils to learn about and respect one another's cultural differences by sharing ideas and experiences.     

Progress so far

By the beginning of 2010 there are 50 local schools who have links  with schools in the region of Mbale.  There has been correspondence sent to and received from  partner schools. Pupils, teachers and non-teaching staff in the schools are eager to establish lasting relationships which will be mutually beneficial to all the parties involved. Pupils in both regions want to learn more about the lives and cultures of their counterparts. The letters that  have been received from schools in Mbale, have been very warm and friendly and clearly show a huge commitment to the partnership.

Rhondda Cynon Taf  is now officially twinned with Mbale. Kim Howells MP and Jane Davidson AM are both committed to seeing this partnership succeed.       

In February 2006 a of team of teachers from Pontypridd visited Mbale. During the visit they met with staff and pupils form partner schools. As a result this and of previous visits when Geoff Herbert and Kath & Phil Rickards had the opportunity to meet with teachers and pupils in schools, it became apparent that resources in the schools in Uganda are very scarce and that schools would benefit from a variety of teaching aids and resources.  Over £3000 was raised by Jane Davidson from a sponsored climb of Kilimanjaro for science equipment for schools

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The next Education visit was in October 2007 and culminated in a conference with  Directors of Education, School Inspectors, Head-teachers and Teachers. The guest speaker was Jane Davidson A.M. The afternoon session was a series of workshops led by members of PONT education section to discuss the way forward for the partnership.

There was a follow up visit by Kath & Phil Rickards in February 2008 to research in-service teacher training, and how best to utilise the money raised for Science Equipment. They were joined for part of the time by Jane Hutt AM Minister of  Education, at the Welsh assembly Government.

In June of  2008 a group of Maths students from the University of Glamorgan accompanied by Dr. John Hayward (lecturer at University of Glamorgan ) and his wife Helen (Primary School teacher) spent time in schools in Mbale.

Over £1200  was raised for educational purposes by a sponsored walk around all  PONT local schools in the partnership by Phil & Kath Rickards July 2008

Schools, youth and childrens groups, rasied money at Christmastime 2008 to provide saplings for the schools and communities in Mbale to plant. Hopefully this will enable fruit to be enjoyed in the future.

In February 2009, a group of R.C.T. teachers, a teaching assistant, a school administrator, a research docomentary photography student accompanied by Phil & Kath Rickards, spent their half term visiting partner schools and their environment. Research and discussions took place with senior educationalists into the possible development of a pilot scheme for volunteer teacher assistants. Invitations were extended to five schools to take part in an agro-forestry project, which they readily accepted. New schools were visited and invited to become partners.

In July 2009 three teachers from Mbale visited their partner schools in Wales as the result  of  British Council Global School Partnership Grants being awarded to partnership schools to develop the curriculum in both countries.

By the start of the new school year in September 2009 there were 50 local schools in the partnership project.

The next Education group to visit Mbale will be February 2010

Projects

• School Links       

 Listed below are all the schools that are currently involved in this exciting project, (but any school is welcome to request a partner school). The schools in Uganda are, first and foremost, looking for our friendship and interest in their lives, we can all offer this, and  receive a warm and rewarding friendship in return. If your school is interested in this please contact us for more details.

 The List of schools in MBALE - PONT partnerships 

Climate Change        

                             Partner schools take weather readings and comment on unusual weather to monitor climate change.

Green Mapping

                              Some schools and their partners are compiling green maps of their environment.

Agro-forestry                           

                            5 Schools are involved in an agro-forestry project monitored by University of Glamorgan and PONT environmental team

Curriculum Development

                           Some schools are working on common curriculum projects with their partner schools, whilst others have incorporated into their curriculum topics inspired by the partnership.