Dumbarton Academy links up with Indian school

Jul 3 2009 by Tina Kemp, Lennox Herald (main ed)

DUMBARTON Academy has forged a relationship with a school thousands of miles away in India.

The secondary has set up a link with New Era School in Vadodara, Gujerat which has around 1500 nursery, primary and senior pupils on one site.

The twinning came about through Global Gateway, which allows schools to find out about one another and get together online.

Over the last few months, the academy’s librarians and English departments have set up a blog which allows a safe and easy communication channel. The book lovers’ clubs in both schools comment and review one another’s work and a video of a Burns’ supper with pupils’ speeches and music has been produced.

Two classes are now exchanging information about teenage interests in Scotland and India, while the New Era School has arranging its own version of a Burns’ song.

Recently two teachers from the Indian school visited the academy for a week, with staff from Dumbarton set to travel to New Era School in October.