Students and teachers from across Wales joined assembly members and policy makers at the Senedd last week, for discussions on how to internationalise Welsh education.
The British Council event, Wales and the World, saw students and teachers share their experiences of how the British Council’s international education programmes have benefited them personally.
During the event, pupils from Ysgol Bro Dinefwr in Llandeilo showcased the British Council’s e-twinning programme by holding a Skype call about healthy eating in schools with pupils from its twinned school, Nymarkskolen, in Swendborg, Denmark.
In addition, Colin Skinner, head teacher at Roath Park Primary in Cardiff, explained how his teachers have used ideas from the US to improve the educational attainment of their pupils. While children from Millbrook Primary School, Newport, showed their Mandarin language work with Chinese language assistant Juan Sheng to assembly members and policy makers.
At the event, Huw Lewis, minister for education and skills, said: “We can prepare our young people for the world of work, but it’s international education programmes that will give them that extra edge in terms of confidence, language ability, life experience and so on.
“Of course, it’s not just our young people who can benefit from international placements, it’s also of great value to those professionals who are seeking to continue their own development, learning new skills and gaining more experience.”
Delegates also heard from pupils of Baglan Primary School, who exhibited some of the work they have produced about Patagonia, and Welsh Patagonian, Dr Walter Ariel Brooks, spent time helping the children with their Spanish.
Jenny Scott, director of British Council Wales, said: “We hope everyone who attended the event will go away inspired, with plenty of ideas about how international education programmes can be used to develop educational opportunities in Wales and help our young people become global citizens.”
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