FORMER First Minister Hears Of Malawi Partnership

FORMER First Minister, Jack McConnell MSP, visited Kilmacolm Primary to speak to pupils about their partnership with a school in Malawi.

Mr McConnell, who is in line to be the next commissioner to Malawi, spoke to primary six and seven pupils.

Kilmacolm is one of nine Inverclyde schools to be twinned with a school in Malawi’s Chiradzulu District. It has been paired with Phinda Primary since August.

Head teacher Sheena McFarlane said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to be actively involved in all areas of global citizenship. The partnership stimulates thinking and learning, helps develop attitudes and values, and offers further scope to investigate rights and responsibilities”

Councillor Stephen McCabe, Inverclyde’s Council Leader and Education Convener, has two children attending Kilmacolm Primary. He met Mr McConnell at the school and said: "Our Malawi Schools Partnership is a fantastic initiative that is helping pupils develop social and cultural links with children from Malawi, and this will build awareness of global issues.

"Inverclyde’s link is enterprise-based with schools exchanging goods to sell, sharing ideas and working together. Inverclyde Council is delighted to support the national agenda of encouraging educational links between Scotland and Malawi and it was a pleasure to have Jack in Inverclyde to tell him of our schools partnership.”

Speaking to pupils during a question and answer session, Mr McConnell said: “The difference in the life expectancy between Malawi and Scotland is staggering so partnerships with the country are important. I’ve been interested in issues concerning Malawi for some time now and it is wonderful that I am going to get the chance to go and do some work there.”

Kilmacolm Primary’s partnership actions so far include:

- Setting up a steering group consisting of primary six and seven pupils.
- Created a presentation about Phinda Primary.
- Awareness raising within each class.
- Designed flyers for parents to raise awareness.
- A logo design competition.
- Letters sent to Phinda Primary describing the pupils and the school.
- Collection of coloured pens and pencils in the school, to send to Phinda Primary to give them a more colourful Christmas.

Iain Mills, Inverclyde’s quality improvement officer, who is working on the Malawi Partnership added: “Kilmacolm Primary is one of a group of Inverclyde schools now linked with schools in Chiradzulu District in southern Malawi. We believe that pupils in both countries will gain from these links, and the excellent work schools like Kilmacolm Primary are doing is already bringing benefits. Young people in our schools are committed to helping their partners and are coming up with great ideas. The whole community will be working to support them in achieving their aims.”