Forty one UK schools have flown to South Africa today (Friday 16 March) to take part in the ‘Fair play today’ project.
“Fair play today” is a unique international initiative developed in partnership between the Youth Sport Trust, the British Council, Sport and Recreation South Africa and the Department of Education South Africa.
More than 160 young people and teachers from across the UK will make the trip and meet their South African counterparts in rural and urban locations from each of the country’s nine provinces.
The headteachers and teachers will share different ways of learning and help develop cross-curricular awareness, sports leadership training and ways of working together in the future.
Around 100 of the young people from the UK will be travelling as “International Young Ambassadors” to explore the theme of “fair play” through physical activity by organising joint festivals of sport and dance.
They will also describe their experiences in the form of a huge mural in Johannesburg.
On their return, each school will be asked to disseminate their work in their own schools and communities.
“Fair play today” is an extension of Dreams + Teams – the Youth Sport Trust and British Council joint initiative which provides a unique link between British school children and their counterparts around the world.
Nick Pink, the Youth Sport Trust’s International Development Officer for Dreams +Teams, said: “The ‘Fair play today’ project is a fantastic opportunity for the teaching staff and pupils from both countries to learn from each other, share ideas and develop long-lasting relationships which will be of mutual benefit hopefully for years to come.
“Dreams + Teams develops mutual understanding between countries around the use of sport in helping to develop education. It also develops leadership skills and cross-cultural awareness in young people through sport and international educational links and helps them explore issues such as fair play, equity, cultural diversity, inclusion, religion, ethics and global communication.”
The aims of “Fair play today” are:
- To develop leadership skills and intercultural awareness amongst students and teachers in South Africa and the UK.
- To enable the group students to develop games on the theme of fair play and to create a large mural on the theme of fair play.
- To deliver support to the South African and UK participants in sharing and disseminating their inspiring experiences with each other and with wider groups in their schools and communities through sport and art.
- To create and exchange the games and art forms that young ambassadors and communities have produced on the theme of fair play.
- To develop a profile of a young ambassador
- To share leadership experiences and explore the concept of African Leadership amongst school leaders.