GREEN-FINGERED children in Hartlepool and Kenya have joined forces to work on their own school garden.
Staff and pupils at Clavering Primary School, in the town, have established a science-based link with Makini Primary School, in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
Pupils at both schools have been working hard in their respective gardens and have been in constant contact with each other via email to compare plants and allotment patches.
They have also spent time learning about their contrasting lives and interests.
The project is part of Clavering Primary’s work towards achieving the International Schools Award.
Neil McAvoy, deputy head teacher at Clavering Primary School, in Hartlepool’s Clavering Road, said pupils from both schools are benefiting a huge amount from the project.
Mr McAvoy added: “Both schools are passionately committed to preparing its pupils for life in a diverse global society and work in a competitive global economy.
“The project has worked extremely well.
“There’s a lot the pupils can learn from a project like this, it’s a unique opportunity for them.”
Makini School is one of Kenya’s top three ranked schools and educates youngsters from three to 18 years old.
It was the first school in the country to introduce computer studies for primary aged youngsters.
It’s in stark contrast to another primary school in the Kenyan slum of Kibera, which Mr McAvoy helped to build back in 2009, as reported at the time in the Hartlepool Mail.
He brought his experiences from his eye-opening two week period in Kenya back home with him and is now keen to use his knowledge to educate the youngsters at Clavering.
“While we are committed to educating our pupils about the unfair conditions that so many children grow up in, we are also keen to avoid painting a stereotypical picture about life in Africa,” added Mr McAvoy.
“Through our global partnerships and international charitable work, children at Clavering are provided with opportunities to explore sameness, difference and diversity, learning that, as humans, we are all equal, have basic needs and rights, and belong to a range of groups and communities.
“As a result of this learning, our pupils learn about the importance of respecting each other and that it is wrong to abuse or stereotype groups of people for any reason.”