News / Pupils share earthquake and tsunami experience
TWO PUPILS, one from New Zealand and one from Japan, will be visiting Shetland’s schools next month to share their experience of living through natural disasters.
The visit is part of the Global Classroom project which links Lerwick’s Anderson High School with eight partner schools in Europe, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the USA.
New Zealander Barnaby Scahill, a former pupil of Shirley Boy’s High School, in Christchurch, was in the city when a series of earthquakes hit during February, devastating not only the school but most of the largest city of New Zealand’s south island.
The future of the school and its 1,500 students and staff is still uncertain. Five Shetlanders, taking part in the Global Classroom happened to be working at the school when the earthquake struck.
Japanese student Yuki Shono, who has been visiting Shetland this year from a school in Nara, in central Japan, will speak of the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami that destroyed the Global Classroom’s partner schools in Towa-cho and Hanamaki, in the district of Iwate.
Global classroom co-ordinator and deputy head teacher at Anderson High School, Stewart Hay, said the two recent natural disasters had a “deeper resonance” for Shetland.
“In response to the specific and tragic circumstances facing partner communities in north east Japan and the community of Shirley Boys’ High School in Christchurch, the Global Classroom partnership intends to raise funds through each of the partner school communities to contribute to the Iwate Japan Relief Fund and Shirley Boys’ High School Foundation. These funds will be vital for the future of both communities and schools,” Mr Hay said.
“Key to raising funds is raising awareness with Shetland students and their families. To this end, two students from Japan and New Zealand plan to visit schools across Shetland in the coming term to tell young Shetlanders their personal story, address issues of the natural world and explain how human beings prepare and react to such events.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Shetland students to meet the pair and ask questions on the issues and experiences of their respective countries.”
The two students are keen to speak to as many Shetland pupils as possible either in specific classes or whole schools.
It is hoped that ideas may be stimulated from these visits leading to fundraising within schools and the Shetland community.
The programme kicks off on Monday 2 May, with visits to Lerwick’s two primary schools at Bell’s Brae and Sound, to be followed by Bressay primary school and Anderson High School on Tuesday.
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