The Sixth Form College Farnborough

Students from Farnborough Sixth Form College played host last week to ten students from the Presbyterian Secondary Technical School in Aburi, Ghana, who were paying their first ever visit to England. The students were accompanied by Mr Peter Logo, the headmaster of the school, Mrs Isabella Awilime, the senior housemistress, and Mr Christian Dzikunu, head of science.

 

The partnership is the brainchild of two Personal Tutors at the College, Catherine Cole and Lisa Hart, who sought out the school after College Principal, Dr John Guy, gave a paper at the conference of the Association of the Development of Education in Africa held in Mauritius in 2005. 

 

Dr Guy said, “The challenges facing the African Schools are enormous and they put our problems into stark perspective but we decided that we would have much to learn from partnering a school in a less developed part of the world as well as being able to contribute positively to their curriculum and strategic development”. 

"We are now proud to have two partner schools: the Liceum Ogolnoksztacace in Sulechow, Poland, and our new friends in Ghana", added Dr Guy.

 

The College sent a group of 15 students to visit the school in Ghana last summer and Catherine Cole was determined to arrange a return trip by the Ghanaians. She said, “It has been a challenge to raise the money to pay for the air fares but the whole College has joined in the task by fund-raising activities, not least by last Sunday’s sponsored Fun Run”.

 

The students from Ghana gave a presentation of Ghanaian culture to the College in the Prospect Theatre, in the presence of the Mayor and Mayoress of Rushmoor, Councillor and Mrs David Welch. When the Farnborough students visited Aburi last year, they met the tribal chief in full costume. Cllr Welch quipped, “I’m the nearest to a tribal chief in Rushmoor, so I wore my formal dress and Mayoral chain”.

 

During their visit, students have been working on a joint curriculum project on HIV/AIDS, building up resource materials for use in both establishments. Catherine Cole said, “It’s been wonderful week and it’s been lovely to see the students working side by side on the curriculum project and also making two cross-cultural banners, combining the West African Adinkra symbol of democracy without conflict with the British Tudor Rose”. When completed, one banner will be hung in each of the educational establishments.

 

20 students from the College will be making a return visit to Ghana in June to continue their joint curriculum work. Among the other projects on which the College is working with the school is the setting up of a new network of computers. 

 

Mr Peter Logo, the headmaster of the Ghanaian school said, “We have a very special relationship with the students and staff and we are proud to be partners with such an outstanding College as Farnborough Sixth Form College”.