Kirkmichael Primary School, Girvan Academy and Queen Margaret Academy have each received prizes in a national competition organised by the British Council Scotland, and two Foreign Language Assistants who teach pupils in these schools were awarded certificates in recognition of their work.

The competition was part of the organisation’s celebrations to mark the centenary of their Foreign Language Assistants programme. The British Council Scotland invited students to create an entry that would enable them to find out about their Language Assistant and the language and country they represent. Depending on the students’ ages, entry formats ranged from posters to games, songs, poems, videos, DVDs and audio or Powerpoint presentations.

Following the judging Kirkmichael Primary School was awarded the runners-up prize in the Primary/Pre-primary section. Certificates were awarded to Anne-Lise Boulouys from Flavin in southwest France for her work in Kirkmichael Primary and Girvan Academy, and Andrea Chaves from Santa Rosa in Argentina, for her work with pupils in Queen Margaret Academy.

Convener of South Ayrshire Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee, Councillor Alan Murray said: “The competition attracted a considerable number of entries from many local authority and independent schools across Scotland.

“It is an indication of the high standard of work produced by the young people and the Foreign Language Assistants that they have been recognised by the British Council Scotland.

“Learning the language and culture of other countries can only be of benefit to young people, as it makes them more aware of differences and similarities in our lives.

“I am aware that both the Foreign Language Assistants have quickly integrated into the schools and local communities, and have forged lasting ties with South Ayrshire. I am keen that contact between schools and town twinning associations should be encouraged to make links between them more sustainable.“

After the school summer holidays Anne-Lise Boulouys will be returning to South Ayrshire to continue passing on her language skills. Andrea Chaves has recently married and hopes to relocate to another part of Scotland with her Spanish husband.

The British Council Scotland hosted a prize giving ceremony in Edinburgh for the winners of the centenary celebration competition. The Foreign Language Assistants, and some teachers and pupils from each of the South Ayrshire schools travelled to Edinburgh for the ceremony. Each winning school received an international hamper of 'goodies' including DVDs and CDs and the Foreign Language Assistants were presented with a certificate to mark their achievements.

Approximately 200 people attended the ceremony and guests had an opportunity to see some of the entries close at hand and to meet the winning students. The ceremony was interspersed with performances by pupils and assistants of songs, poems and presentations.

The British Council is an international organisation working to create educational opportunities and cultural relations, building mutually beneficial relationships between people in the United Kingdom and other countries. There are currently 275 Foreign Language Assistants working across Scotland from Dumfries and Galloway to Shetland, helping teach French, German, Italian, Spanish and Urdu.

The winning school and the runner-up in each age group are as follows:

More information can be obtained about the British Council Scotland by logging onto their website at www.britishcouncil.org/scotland.

Anne-Lise Boulouys proudly shows off her certificate to Convener of the Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee, Councillor Alan Murray.


May 2005