Earlier this month, seven schools in Oman were recognized by the British Council, an international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations, for participating in the “Connecting Classrooms Project.” Connecting Classrooms is an initiative that offers school partnerships, professional development for teachers, and the British Council International School Award, designed to give a schools international recognition.
“I believe ‘Connecting Classrooms’ has increased the profile of activities already taking place, given them a higher status and encouraged students to become global citizens,” said Zuweina Al-Maamary, the British Council’s Assistant Director for Projects, Oman. Paul Doubleday, Director of the British Council, Oman added, “I am very excited about the relationship that we have built between Oman and the UK through the Connecting Classrooms projects that have been on-going for the last five years in Oman. The rich range of work the schools are doing to support and encourage global citizenship with a greater understanding of the world around them is truly fantastic.” The recognition of Omani schools came only a week before its neighbor, Yemen, signed an agreement with the British Council that will provide for increased training and professional development for Yemeni teachers.
Cooperation between the British Council and countries in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region is an encouraging sign. Although countries in the region have invested heavily in education over the last decade, unemployment, especially among the young, is the highest in the world. Better teachers are needed to provide better training for students seeking jobs. International cooperation is one means of providing teachers with the resources they need to pursue those development opportunities.
Creative Commons Love: European Commission on DG ECHO on Flickr.com
Written by Alex Leedom