Cuttack, Aug. 3: Besides regular studies, students of various government schools in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar are getting to learn more about the lifestyles and culture of other countries, thanks to “Connecting Classrooms”.

Jointly organised by the state government and British Council, the programme is keeping students of Kazi Bazar Government Girls’ High School busy. Apart from exhibiting various interesting projects, activities such as rallies, discussions, debate and other competitions are being held at the school.

“Today, we are organising the International School Award (ISA) fair in which projects made by the students will be displayed. They have been working on the projects throughout the year,” headmistress Susmita Sahu said.

Earlier, many schools in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar were connected with schools in the United Kingdom through the Connecting Classrooms programme, the main objective of which is to globalise education.

Under this, every cluster school in the twin cities is connected with other schools in the UK where students share their experiences, get the chance to learn about each other’s lifestyles, culture, dances, animals and other interesting aspects that impact their lives. This cultural and academic exchange is facilitated through e-mails and video conferencing.

“I have made a project on the lifestyle of UK-based citizens which would not have been possible without the input from students there. This programme is useful in the sense that it has helped us explore various facets of other countries without having to move out of our classrooms,” said a student. Earlier, a six-member delegation from the UK had also visited the school in January to share their views. The delegation had interacted with students, teachers and other staff members about the local art, culture, traditions and activities.

Headmistress Sahu said the students are displaying the message of universal brotherhood through their projects, which would foster harmony and peace between nations.

At the ISA fair, the projects by individual students would be exhibited in paintings, and through debate competitions, discussions, seminars and rallies.

Simultaneously, an awareness drive would also be undertaken for the parents and guardians regarding the importance of education for children of the 21st century. “Later, the community at large will be involved in promoting this idea among the students,” Sahu added.