From the schools and associations
Why international partnerships and collaboration are more important than ever By Hannah Starkey
O
ver the past 18 months, international collaborations have helped schools around the world to seek new ideas, digital solutions, and much-needed support to navigate through unknown territory. ‘Covid-19 has shown us that we have both the most and least connected generation of pupils in our schools, ever. Whilst technology provides the links, an over-reliance on it builds barriers of human contact.’ says Sue Hannam, Headteacher at Lichfield Cathedral School in England. Forging links with an international school has brought a vital perspective for schools and can introduce students to new cultures, traditions, lifestyles and global issues.
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Sue added: ‘There is a paradox here, whereby our pupils are easily able to link and communicate with others across the globe but are not always in the habit of practising one-to-one personal skills faceto-face, in the way they may have done in the past. Part of our role as educators is to ensure the education we provide builds awareness about the wider world, about sustainability and about playing an active role in the global community.’ The Global School Alliance connects pioneers in educational reform and development, providing a platform for sharing of best practices, resources and opportunities to increase school
improvement, teacher development and student transformation. The growing community represents over 5000 schools in 120 countries worldwide and unites educationalists through regular conferences, informative webinars, virtual partnerships, joint projects, council meetings and global discussions. Whilst some schools prioritise international collaboration and embed it in the school ethos, others find it increasingly difficult to establish global connections. It takes time, effort and drive to build these relationships with schools in other countries, so why do leaders think it’s worth making that investment?
