Aus-India schools collaboration rises to new heights

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January 2016

On 15 January 2016, the newly appointed Indian members of the the Australia-India Education Council (AIEC) Schools Working Group met for the first time at the Australian High Commission. They received a briefing on the Australian school education system from Dr Amanda Day, Counsellor (Education and Research) and had preliminary discussions on areas of interest for schools collaboration.

The session coincided with a debriefing for Australian and Indian school leaders participating in the Australia India School Leaders Professional Learning (SLPL) Program and Australia India BRIDGE School Partnerships Project.

The Australia-India School Leaders' Professional Learning (SLPL) Program, in its seventeenth year of operation, involves reciprocal visits of teachers from both countries. The visits include workshops on the education systems of each country, school leadership, models of schooling and management (including professional development of teachers) and evaluation and assessment techniques. Importantly, they also include an invaluable home-stay component where teachers are able to shadow their counterparts in their family homes and schools.

The BRIDGE program is in its inaugural year, after being announced by the Australian Minister for Education and Training during his visit to India in August 2015. It aims to build teacher capacity in developing intercultural understanding, and enhancing information communication technology (ICT) skills and establish sustainable school partnerships. It maximises the use of ICT in classrooms and provides students with personal, real-time connection with their peers in the region.

The teachers shared their experiences living and working in each other’s countries, and recommendations for future programs. Certificates were also presented to the participants by Dr SatbirBedi, Joint Secretary, Department of School Education, MHRD and Dr Amanda Day.

To know more about the AIEC activities, click on australiaindiaeducation.com.