Update on Covid-19 from the Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning team

On behalf of the British Council and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), we wanted to let you know about some changes to the Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme in light of the impact of Covid-19.

We understand that this is a difficult time for schools, teachers, parents, young people and all those involved in education all over the world.  

Due to the overriding importance of the wellbeing, health and safety of our programme participants, and in line with the Ugandan government and health advice we have postponed all face-to-face components of the programme until further notice. This includes partnership visits for teachers and face-to-face professional development courses. 

However, we wanted to draw your attention to the digital resources that can still be accessed through the programme. Our online professional development courses are open to teachers and we also have a guide to support virtual communication with teachers in your partner schools. Our free classroom resources are packed with flexible activities for young people to explore global issues, whether they are still in school or now learning from home. 

If you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter to be kept up to date in the coming weeks on new online activities and classroom resources we have under development or check back on our website soon. 

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions on how we can provide advice and support, please contact us .

You can read more about what Covid-19 means for the British Council in Uganda and visit www.health.go.ug/covid   for the most up to date guidance from the Ugandan government.

Connecting Classrooms in Uganda

Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning (CCGL) 2018 - 2021 in Uganda will continue to support the aims and objectives of the Ministry of Education and Sports. Connecting Classrooms phase 4 follows a 10 year implementation of previous versions of the programme in Uganda. The updated version of the programme will provide flexible, tailored support to meet specific country priorities. 

The new programme will further build on the gains so far by:

Enriching education and improving learner performance: We will support school systems for over 150 under resourced and hard to reach schools in Uganda through a range of fully funded training and professional development opportunities for over 3750 teachers and 300 school leaders. The training programme focuses on improving pedagogies and approaches around the key themes of core and transferable skills, school leadership and inclusive education, to enrich the learner experience and boost student performance.

Fruitful collaboration with schools in the UK: We will support 150 schools in Uganda to develop partnerships with schools in the UK, enabling teachers and leaders to support their professional development journeys by becoming part of an international community of practice. Teachers can also access our free classroom resources designed to support joint projects with partner schools, helping students develop their core skills by collaborating and interacting with their peers across the UK.

Policy Development Support: We will provide policy makers with access to leading UK education experts, who provide consultancy and advice on various aspects of school systems, including curriculum development and inclusive education policy, all drawing on the latest international practices and research.

 Programme Themes

Core and transferable skills

Preparing students for life and work by equipping them with the core and transferable skills, such as critical thinking, enterprise, citizenship and communication, in the classroom and teaching them how to apply these to thrive in today’s world.

School leadership

Enhancing school leadership by building the skills of school leaders, supporting policy makers to develop and implement effective national school leadership approaches and facilitating collaboration between your school leaders and school leaders in the UK to support and embed change.

Inclusive education

Making the learning environment more inclusive by equipping teachers with the skills and approaches to implement inclusive practises in the classroom and meet the needs of every learner.

Continuing Professional Development.

 The Connecting Classrooms training packages give school leaders and teachers the tools and approaches they need to ensure effective core skills provision in their schools, including strategies for planning, monitoring and improving teaching and learning and for mapping core skills across the curriculum. 

Face to face training

This face to face training is a journey of three stages:

1.     Introduction - teachers are introduced to the core skills

2.     In-depth - teachers are trained on particular core skill selected by their school

3.     Reflection - teachers demonstrate impact of the core skills in their school using evidence

Online training

You can also register for the online courses at the Connecting Classrooms website . 

 


How to get involved

You do not need any previous experience to take part in Connecting Classroom's learning journey. 

1.Register your school with British Council Schools Online .

2.Find one UK and one African school to partner with.

3.Join the Connecting Classrooms teacher network .

4.Access free teacher training materials  on Schools Online

5.Enrol and complete any of the core skills courses online 

In today’s world, it’s vital that young citizens know their place in the world – teaching them about global issues is imperative. Our global education programme for schools, Connecting Classrooms, is specifically designed to establish long-term partnerships between schools in the UK and more than 60 other countries worldwide, helping to create culturally inclusive classrooms.

We aim to give all young people the opportunity to succeed in a globalised society. Connecting Classrooms enables students and their teachers to:

  • understand issues of worldwide importance
  •  gain a sense of social responsibility
  •  develop skills to succeed in the global economy.

Through these partnerships, the programme develops understanding and trust between young people in different societies, creating a safer and more connected world for the future.

The programme is managed by the British Council and jointly funded with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

See also

External links

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