A TEACHER at Beath High School is hoping a worldwide partnership will be the catalyst to explore a different part of the world for Fifers.

The secondary is one of a number of Scottish schools taking part in the Connecting Classrooms initiative which sees communities from different parts of the world come together through common goals.

It puts Scottish pupils in touch with children of the same age in 29 developing countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia via video link.

The pupils discuss global issues such as climate change, gender equality and sustainability.

Funding grants will also be available so that teachers can visit their partner schools face-to-face, once coronavirus travel restrictions are eased.

The £37million programme, run by the British Council and co-funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), has already helped over 2,000 British schools.

Beath HS has been partnered with Mapanga Primary School and Njale Primary School, both in Malawi, and the secretary of the Beath-Malawi Partnership said he is looking forward to strengthening the bond between the two communities.

Ian Mitchell, principal teacher of physics at the school, said: “Our cluster is very excited to be involved in the Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning Project.

“We trust that our involvement will bring the communities around Beath HS and those around our partner schools of Mapanga PS and Njale PS in Malawi closer together through common goals.

“There are so many similarities between the communities in the different countries, but there is also the opportunity to explore and understand the differences between our two countries.

“We are confident that the Connecting Classrooms programme will allow all our young people to appreciate their role as global citizens in trying to help others develop, as they develop themselves within a common project.

“The experiences of all within the Beath HS cluster and those in our partner schools in Malawi will be enriched through Connecting Classrooms.

“Greater understanding of climate change, gender equality and the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals can do nothing but bring positive changes for everyone around the world.”

Darren Coyle of the British Council said: “We are delighted that Beath High School is embedding learning for sustainability into their curriculum through participation in Connecting Classrooms.

“It has never been so important for pupils to understand the big issues that shape our world and equip them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to make a positive contribution.

“We hope that many more schools will opt to take advantage of the opportunities to connect and learn through Connecting Classrooms.”

For more info on how to register a school to be a part of CCGL go to https://tinyurl.com/vfcru2y.