Global school partnership programme wins award for contribution to professional development at international award ceremony
16/06/2009 15:00:00
A government-funded education initiative to engage young people in development issues has won an award for its contribution to the professional development of teachers in global education.
The Department for International Development (DFID) Global School Partnerships programme was awarded the Steve Sinnott Special Award for Commonwealth Teachers at the Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this week. The programme was one of nine projects to be short listed for the awards which give governments, civil society and non-governmental organisations from around the world an opportunity to showcase and share their innovative work.
Andy Egan, Project Manager of DFID Global School Partnerships (DGSP), who attended the awards ceremony said: “I am very proud to receive this award on behalf of DFID, and DGSP partners the British Council, Cambridge Education Foundation, UKOWLA and VSO. Teachers are the heartbeat of our programme, and I am very honoured that the efforts of our global team in supporting the professional development of teachers have been recognised in this special way.”
The DFID Global School Partnerships programme supports teachers and learners from UK to learn about global development issues together with partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. As part of the programme, DFID Global School Partnerships offers professional development workshops for teachers to help them promote global education through the curriculum. Since 2003 DGSP has trained 2,600 teachers in the UK and 16 Southern countries.
Student Megan Jones, from Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni in Wales, was one of two students attending to make presentations about the benefits of the programme at the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers. Megan, 17, and Isuru Aminda Vithanage, 16 from Nalanda College in Sri Lanka, were selected after winning a competition open to all schools involved in the programme.
Megan said: ‘We have gained a greater understanding of equality and social justice through our DGSP partnership, and it was a very valuable opportunity to be able to explain this to the Commonwealth Ministers at the Awards.’
Megan’s school’s partnership with Gowrie Technical School in Ghana has seen them hold a Fair Trade event and set up environmental projects, as well as involving the local authority and local businesses in the partnership.
This award adds to other recognition that the programme has received, including a Council of Europe World Aware Education Award in 2008 for excellence in networking, partnerships and co-ordination to increase and improve global education.
Editor's notes
- For more information about DFID Global School Partnerships, visit www.britshcouncil/globalschools.org or contact 0131 524 5780 / globalschools@britishcouncil.org
- DFID Global School Partnerships is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID). DFID is leading the UK government’s fight against global poverty.
- DFID Global School Partnerships is delivered by a consortium of the British Council, Cambridge Education Foundation, UK One World Linking Association (UKOWLA) and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
- DFID Global School Partnerships promotes partnerships between schools in the UK and schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and supports over 1,850 partnerships.
- DFID Global School Partnerships provides advice and guidance, professional development opportunities and grants to schools to develop partnerships and embed a global dimension in their curriculum.
- The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We work in more than 100 countries worldwide to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people. We work in the arts, education, science, sport and governance and last year we reached over 128 million people. Our total turnover in 2007/8 was £565m, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was £197m. For more information, please go to www.britishcouncil.org
- DFID Global School Partnerships was selected from a total of 49 submissions for the Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards from countries including Botswana, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and the United Kingdom. The Awards recognise organisations demonstrating best practice in education throughout the Commonwealth, according to six action areas which include achieving universal primary education and eliminating gender disparities in education. For more information about the Commonwealth Education Good Practice Awards visit www.thecommonwealth.org
