EU Commissioner visits West School

4.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 17th Oct 2008

European Commissioner Leonard Orban has this afternoon visited Bristol's Sir Bernard Lovell School with West Country MEP Graham Watson to meet teachers and some of the students participating in the Broadening Horizons Chinese Language Scheme.

Graham Commented

"I know the Commissioner was keen to see the scheme in action and was delighted to meet some of the school's students and the Taiwanese assistants. I've visited the Sir Bernard Lovell School before and know there is an excellent teaching team in place that really build on the student's enthusiasm.

It is good to see how everyone here is embracing the scheme; in fact this is the first school to take on two assistants simultaneously, as it's been so popular with students."

Editors note

The 'Broadening Horizons' scheme, which Graham Watson MEP established last year, provides a teaching assistant to schools keen to introduce Mandarin but previously held back by budgetary constraints. In return for providing accommodation, food and covering basic administration costs, the schools get an assistant for between 8 and 12 hours per week to work with pupils of all ages, feeder primary schools, and where demand is such, the wider community too.

The Sir Bernard Lovell School have taken on the UK co-ordination of the Broadening Horizons scheme, using their unique insight as an enthusiastic school participating in the scheme from day one, to help further develop and expand the scheme.

The participating schools involved in the 'Broadening Horizons' scheme 2008-2009 are:

The Sir Bernard Lovell School (Oldham Common, Bristol), which is hosting Taiwanese language assistants Yen-Han Hu and Wei Lee.

Hayle Community School (Cornwall), which is hosting Taiwanese language assistant Chen-Kuang Pan

Penrice Community College (Cornwall), which is hosting Taiwanese language assistant Wan-Ju Laing

Pilton Community College (Devon), which is hosting Taiwanese language assistant Chiao-Wen Shao

The Sir John Colfox (Dorset), which is hosting Taiwanese language assistant Yun-Yeh Tsai

Kingsmead Community School (Somerset), which is hosting Taiwanese language assistant Wen-Ju Liang

Huish Episcopi School (Somerset) which is hosting Taiwanese language assistant Hsu-Ling Chung

The John Bentley School (Wiltshire) which is hosting Taiwanese language assistant Yun-Yeh Tsai

The Cotswold School (Gloucestershire) which is hosting Taiwanese language assistant Mei-Li Chang