Learning / Early Years
Bristol children forge green links with China
Today children from Parson Street Primary School chatted through webcam link with children in Ningbo, China about the importance of recycling and reducing waste.
This will be the first of a series of video calls taking place throughout the year, as part of an initiative by Bristol City Council. Councillor Gus Hoyt, Assistant Mayor for Neighbourhoods, said of the project:
‘Recycling is a key part of what makes Bristol a green city, and it is vital that we teach children about the importance of taking care of the planet from a young age. It is an honour to be able to share what we have learnt with children in other countries. Such a practice of sharing will get us ready for our role as European Green Capital next year.’
is needed now More than ever
Parson Street Primary School were chosen to lead the initiative after winning a recycling competition during the 2012 Olympics called the Zero Waste Olympics.
Bristol has one of the best waste education programmes in the UK which has increased the amount schools recycle from 5% in 2009 to more than 45%. However, Parson Primary School are way out in front, currently leading the city’s efforts at 88%.
Year 3 teacher Clare Marshall leads the school’s Green Team, which is composed of representatives from each class within the school from Year 1 to Year 6. The children are responsible for all of the schools recycling, Clare tells us.
‘These children put themselves forward to represent their peers because they are passionate about sustainability, our environment (both local and further afield) and reducing waste through recycling.’
She continues, ‘if you start with the children, you educate the nation.’
Tony Prescott, Director of Bristol China Partnership and West of England China Bureau, was also in attendance and helped the children translate as they asked each other questions – and Parson Primary children learned to count in Chinese!
Between plenty of waving at the screen, the children asked each other about their school life and what kinds of animals they have.
Green Team leader Clare hopes the children from both schools will strike up a friendship over the course of the project and looks forward to the school hopefully hosting the children from Ningbo next year.
Parson Street Primary’s Green Team held a cake sale this evening to help towards getting the children from Ningbo over here, which raised £115.00.
As the project progresses Bristol City Council hope to include more schools throughout Ningbo, and China more widely, to join in the success we have had in Bristol. Other leading recycling schools in Bristol will also take part in the project, including Wansdyke and Victoria Park primaries.
Follow their progress: @parsonstreet
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