Ghana teachers visit school to learn about cultural teaching differences

Staff from Airedale Academy – and its sister infants and junior schools – have formed a partnership over past few years to provide teaching materials and swap learning techniques.

Earlier this year teachers from the school flew out to the West African country with 12 suitcases full of books, reading glasses and teaching materials to help disadvantaged children.

Katie Robinson, headteacher of Airedale Infants and Juniors School, said: “It’s been a great experience for the children and staff from all the schools and we hope to continue with this very strong partnership.

“The teachers from Ghana will ensure that they will put in place all the new skills they have learnt whilst in lessons and plan to use their skills to support other teachers in their school community once they return to Ghana.”

The children planted peppers, learned traditional nursery rhymes, and built a model of a self-sufficient African village.

Ohenemg Mensah, the school coordinator in Ghana thanked Airedale for the haul of glasses that were donated and said: “The spectacles that the children collected were very, very helpful to our schools and the local community

“It has served teachers, community members, pupils in our catchment and for this we are very grateful.”

Elizabeth Fairhurst, Airedale Academy principal, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome our Ghanaian visitors in to our family of schools.

“All of our young people from across the trust have hugely enjoyed working with our guests throughout the week and have gained a real insight into how the education system and life in Ghana differs from the UK.

“Developing our young peoples ‘cultural capital’ is of the upmost importance to us and the Connecting Classrooms initiative allows us to do this brilliantly.”