Project helps children understand similarities, accept differences

Last month, Anthony Valletta School C, of Birkirkara, hosted the concluding meeting of the Comenius project "Legends and oral traditions of our country" which aimed to promote friendship between European schools, the children's sense of their regional and European identity and raise cultural identity and heritage, as well as to help children understand their similarities and accept their differences.

The other project partners were Istituto Comprensivo di Piedimulera, Italy, Ecole Elementaire Edourd Branly, France, and St Columba in Kilrea, N. Ireland, the co-ordinating school.

Last November, the school head Josephine Magro, and myself attended a project meeting held in the French partner school in Strasbourg in the French region of Alsace to discuss the programme for the project's third and final year. The three-day programme in Strasbourg included a tour round the different classes of the nursery and primary classes.

This year all partner schools exchanged letters and class e-mails. A Year 4 and a Year 5 class from our school will correspond with an Italian class to practice English.

The children were also asked to write what they would like Europe to be in the future entitled "My Vision of Europe".

During this year each school produced and exchanged a CD/DVD showing samples of the work undertaken by pupils during the Comenius project a summary CD/DVD of the activities representing the work of the four schools will be produced.

I would like to thank EUPU, M'Anne Zammit, our former head of school who pioneered of the project, and my present school head Josephine Magro for giving me the opportunity to participate in this project, which has certainly been a memorable experience.