Brikama Upper Basic School receives UK friends

Twenty-nine students from Lord Williams' School in the UK on Thursday visited Brikama Upper Basic School in West Coast Region.

The visit was in line with the partnership agreement signed in 2001 by the two schools.

During the visit, representatives from Lord Williams' School presented a printing machine to the host Brikama Upper Basic School.

In receiving the guests, Demba Keita, Vice-Principal of Brikama Upper Basic School, welcomed their UK counterparts to the school.

"This link between the two schools started in 2002 and in 2006 it became active," vice principal Keita said, adding that since then they have been benefiting from their UK friends.

According to him, Brikama Upper Basic School has a roll of 1676 students and out of this figure, 927 are boys and 749 are girls. "The school has a double shift," he said.

The vice-principal also thanked the Lord Williams' School for supporting Brikama Upper Basic School, adding that their intervention is one way of complementing government's efforts in promoting education.

He assured the students and teachers of Lord Williams' that Brikama Upper Basic School would continue to live up to expectations.

"It is very important for the two schools to learn each other's culture," says Mr Keita.

Since then his school has faced difficulty in printing their papers, he said, adding that the machine donated will ease their burden.

For his part, Jonathan Blundell, leader of the team of donors, thanked the management of Brikama Upper Basic School for their warm hospitality.

The visit was part of the partnership between the two schools, Blundell said, adding: "We are happy to be in The Gambia."

The visit, he added, will give them the opportunity to know more about each other's culture.

"Our first visit to Brikama Upper Basic School was in 2002 and since then every year we have been visiting the school," says Blundell.

He said the link between the two schools would go from strength to strength.

According to him, in 2008 one teacher from Brikama Upper Basic School also visited Lord Williams' School in the UK, as well as in 2009 and 2010.