SUNNYLANDS Primary School experienced a taste of India when they took their pupils out of the classroom and into the playground for their lessons on Friday.
Passers-by witnessed children learning and performing traditional Indian dancing, singing songs, practising simple phonics for reading and hearing traditional tales about Diwali and about the life of Amy Charmichael from Millisle who worked in India,
rescuing poor children for 55 years.
The Sunnylands pupils were taking part in a sponsored ‘Pavement School’ in support of Emmanuel Ministries, a charity which provides education for the poorest children in the slums of Calcutta, West Bengal.
Three and three quarter million primary school children in the state of West Bengal have no access to primary school education so Emmanuel Ministries offers free education to young people, whose parents can’t afford to pay, through Pavement Schools, which take place on pieces of undeveloped ground or in tiny spaces across the city.
Sunnylands Primary School also sponsors a young boy to attend the Calcutta Emmanuel School so that he can obtain a full-time, English medium education studying a similar curriculum to that provided in our schools too.
The Carrick school hopes to develop the partnership with the Emmanuel School so that pupils can exchange letters, DVD messages and learn about life in another culture.
Of course, one thing that Carrick and Calcutta have in common at this time of year is that rain often disrupts pavement schooling, so the children at Sunnylands had to finish their event inside when the rain started - a luxury that isn’t open to the children of Calcutta.
Sunnylands finished their event with every child and teacher taking part in an Indian dance competition with prizes for the best pupil and teacher dancers.
“It was a great day and a wonderful learning experience for everyone who took part, “ the school said in a statement.
