Six young people from Belmont Academy in Ayr entered the Scottish Government Education Department (SEED) Scottish Schools Africa Challenge competition and were awarded third place in the national competition.

To acknowledge the achievement of the third year pupils Jessica Ball, Helen Downie, Hazel Gow, Jennifer Grant, Louise Hair and Rachel Hill, they were invited to give a presentation at South Ayrshire Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee within the County Buildings, Ayr.

SEED invited entries from S1, S2, and S3 students, who were asked to consider the value of education in both Scotland and Africa, and investigate the benefits that links with Africa might bring to pupils in Scottish schools.

The theme of the competition was ‘Scotland and Africa – at school, learning together’ and it was up to entrants how they approached the competition and entries could be submitted as a poster, video, music CD, DVD, poem, essay, project or a formal proposal.

The Belmont Academy pupils spent a lot of their own time working on the project, and carried out research within the school library and on the Internet. After preparing their submission the group decided to place their information on a DVD and submitted it to SEED.

The competition submission concentrated on ‘Education – The Key’ and highlighted the problems education has in Malawi and how people in Scotland could assist in making a contribution towards overcoming them.

Convener of the Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee, Councillor Alan Murray said: ”By participating in this competition the young people have gained a valuable insight into the education system in Africa, and have been able to compare it to their own.

“The high level of education available in Scotland, which has a wonderful reputation around the globe is often taken for granted.

“I am very proud of what the group from Belmont Academy has achieved, and to be awarded third place in a national competition of this kind is a credit to them and their school.”

The young people from Belmont Academy were invited to Edinburgh to an award ceremony to recognise their achievement, and to be congratulated by First Minister Jack McConnell. Also in attendance at the ceremony were Mrs Helen Holdsworth, Principal Teacher of Modern Studies and Mr Alan Moir both from Belmont Academy, as well as Reverend Matiya and Mrs Nkhoma from Malawi.

Each of the winning pupils from Belmont Academy has received £20 worth of book tokens as an acknowledgement of their achievement.

The Hunter Foundation, which was established by local man Tom Hunter, helped sponsor the competition, and the winning team from a school in the Orkneys will accompany the First Minister on a five day trip to Malawi in May 2005. The team will then set up formal links with a Malawi school and later in 2005 their school will host a visit from pupils and teachers from the Malawi school.

The Belmont Academy pupils after giving their presentation to the Lifelong Learning Committee, are pictured with Helen Holdsworth, Principal Teacher of Modern Studies at Belmont Academy, and Head Teacher Alan Moir.

May 2005