BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

08 December 2005

Bankhead Academy to welcome visitors from Gomel

Bankhead Academy is preparing to welcome pupils and staff from a school in Aberdeen's twin city of Gomel in Belarus next week.

The six pupils and two teachers are from Gomel State Linguistic Gymnasium, which specialises in teaching English.

Their hosts have drawn up a packed itinerary, which will allow them to experience Scottish culture at its best, around a theme of "equalities".

The visitors will be in Aberdeen from December 11 to 18.

They will attend classes and will also take part in an equal opportunities awareness-raising event at the school on Tuesday (December 13). They also hope to visit Cornerstone and Marlpool School.

The guests will visit Aberdeen's Town House for a tour of the civic rooms and will be entering into the festive spirit with a trip to the panto and a ceilidh.

The ceilidh - to be held on Thursday, December 15 - has been organised by Bankhead Academy's Social Committee.

The proceeds will be donated to DebRA, which supports people with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a genetic disorder that causes blistering of the skin.

* Aberdeen is twinned with five cities around the world: Clermont-Ferrand (France), Stavanger (Norway), Regensburg (Germany) and Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), as well as Gomel.

These twinning relationships promote the fostering of international understanding and the furthering of social and economic links, highlighting areas such as culture, commerce, science, tourism, education and sport.

Bankhead Academy's equal opportunities group hopes to pay a return visit to Gomel in the spring of 2006.

Source:

http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ACC_Data/news%20item/ppu_news_051208a.asp