Radhika
I’m out here in Sri Lanka helping some teachers from Murton Primary in Durham to set up a link with one of the schools we work with out here. More about that in a moment.
I visited the new centre today. I could scarcely believe it – all those discussions, plans, fundraising and more fundraising has resulted in this wonderful place – bright, airy and so much bigger than the room they had. Sister is beaming. I haven’t met the children yet, but she tells me they absolutely love it. They dust, sweep, and have brought plants for the front. Flowers, chillies, a few vegetables. The children had done the move – carrying all the tables, chairs, books etc from the old space to this. The first floor is yet to be completed – we’re still fundraising – but we are hopeful that the whole building will be in use by the Summer.
The main reason for my trip is to support this school link between Murton Primary and St Mary's College Dehiwala. Murton secured some funding from the British Council to do a teacher exchange. The British teachers arrive on Sunday, but I got here a few days early to make sure all the arrangements made by email were in place. So, I pop over to the school this morning and the Head tells me the children are having exams all next week and the Head of English who has been my main link is on a course for the entire week! The week after next would be much better for a visit...
It’s happened to us before. It’s partly connected to the flexibility here , things (like the teacher’s course) get arranged at the last minute, confounding our well-laid plans. But that flexibility has meant that they can shift the times of some of the exams so that the British teachers can spend time in normal lessons, and the Head of English has agreed to miss a couple of days of his course. And I met several other teachers who are really looking forward to the visit and will look after my group. Its all going to be all right. But for a moment there, I did get worried.
I’m out here in Sri Lanka helping some teachers from Murton Primary in Durham to set up a link with one of the schools we work with out here. More about that in a moment.
I visited the new centre today. I could scarcely believe it – all those discussions, plans, fundraising and more fundraising has resulted in this wonderful place – bright, airy and so much bigger than the room they had. Sister is beaming. I haven’t met the children yet, but she tells me they absolutely love it. They dust, sweep, and have brought plants for the front. Flowers, chillies, a few vegetables. The children had done the move – carrying all the tables, chairs, books etc from the old space to this. The first floor is yet to be completed – we’re still fundraising – but we are hopeful that the whole building will be in use by the Summer.
The main reason for my trip is to support this school link between Murton Primary and St Mary's College Dehiwala. Murton secured some funding from the British Council to do a teacher exchange. The British teachers arrive on Sunday, but I got here a few days early to make sure all the arrangements made by email were in place. So, I pop over to the school this morning and the Head tells me the children are having exams all next week and the Head of English who has been my main link is on a course for the entire week! The week after next would be much better for a visit...
It’s happened to us before. It’s partly connected to the flexibility here , things (like the teacher’s course) get arranged at the last minute, confounding our well-laid plans. But that flexibility has meant that they can shift the times of some of the exams so that the British teachers can spend time in normal lessons, and the Head of English has agreed to miss a couple of days of his course. And I met several other teachers who are really looking forward to the visit and will look after my group. Its all going to be all right. But for a moment there, I did get worried.
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