The Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade launched the Australia-Pacific BRIDGE School Partnerships program as part of the commitment to strengthening links with Australia’s neighbors in the Pacific.
Over the next two years, schools in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu will take part in a pilot program connecting them with Australian schools. The program will support collaborative, intercultural learning and facilitate exchanges between teachers on best practices in education. It will also support increased use of digital technology to link classrooms with resources and information from around the world.A key focus of the program will also be strengthening links between schools that offer education to students with a disability.
14 school partnerships will be established over the program’s two-year pilot period, with one primary and one secondary school partnership per country and at least three schools focused on students with a disability.
The program builds on Australian Government support for the BRIDGE Program across South East Asia. Since 2008, the BRIDGE program has connected young Australians with peers from across South East Asia, building mutual understanding and supporting lasting friendships.
Original source: DFAT
Published on 21 March 2018
