Ghana
John O’Gaunt School has had contact with Ghanaian Schools since 2000, when a Millennium initiative was started to link schools on the meridian. We then established a strong link with Aseseeso Presbyterian Junior High School in 2004. The school is in the Eastern region of Ghana, in the slightly cooler mountain area.
Aseseeso Junior High School, Adukrom-Akuapem, East Region, Ghana
The purpose of the link:
- To share good practice in teaching and learning by collaborating in specific curriculum activities;
- To find out about Global citizenship by experiencing life in another culture;
- To have fun!
During a decade and more of active linking, JoG has experienced a taste of another culture and received much knowledge and personal connections to enrich curriculum work. Of mutual benefit to both partners have been the shared projects and exciting exchange visits between teachers and students. Thanks to hard work by the respective link teachers, the school has earned four successive ‘Global Schools’ grants from DfID, administered by the British Council. Memorably, the third exchange visit in 2009 involved three students each way as well as teachers.
We are very fortunate that our school partnership is supported by a Ghanaian diaspora group, The Abonse-Aseseeso Citizens’ Association , all of whom live and work in the UK. Their birth villages are Aseseeso and its neighbour Abonse. They have helped both schools on many occasions towards the planning of exchanges and various members have visited Hungerford for special school and civic occasions, most recently for our 50th Anniversary.
Just before Christmas 2014 we were pleased to be able to send over to Aseseeso a laptop and some JOG school newsletters which were enjoyed by the students at Aseseeso Junior High School.
Local company Green Machine Computers Ltd also kindly donated a mobile phone to the school.
Year 7 Penpals with Aseseeso students
Year 7 John O'Gaunt students enjoyed writing letters to their link friends at Aseseeso.