• Pop quiz: If Makar Sankranti is the harvest festival for Indians, what is it called in Sri Lanka?
• Answer: Thai Pongal
Ninth graders of ADLS Sunshine School in Jamshedpur know this and many such minute details of the neighbouring country's culture, thanks to their 15-minute interaction with students of Urumpirai Saiva Tamil Vidyalayam, a government school in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on Monday.
ADLS Sunshine School had organised this online interaction as a part of its efforts to bag the coveted International School Award from the British Council.
It is a three-year accreditation scheme that recognises and celebrates exemplary practices of internationalism in schools. It also provides a framework for schools to develop an action plan and implement global activities throughout the year, encouraging schools to collaborate and innovate with overseas counterparts to create a rich learning experience.
Around 10 Class IX students of the city school logged on to to Skype together around 11.30am. The students learnt about each other's education system, food habits and popular sports.
"Generally, we are engrossed with our school, syllabus and other academic activities. The interaction on Skype makes it easy for us to know another country better," said Gargi Mandal, a Class IX student who interacted with the pupils of the Sri Lankan school.
ADLS Sunshine students will now prepare a report on the interaction.
"The interaction session was amazing. The best part is that we have been invited to the school's centenary celebrations in September," said Anant Kumar, another ninth grader.
Principal Indrani Singh said the school was abuzz with innovative activities.
"The award celebrates internationalism. Students get a chance to think differently. There are very few students in the country or city who get a chance to visit a foreign country. That does not mean that they will not learn about other cultures. As a part of ISA activities we and other schools have been interacting with cradles around the globe to give our students the opportunity to learn and receive international exposure," said principal Singh.
