Blayney Public School's widely-recognised reputation for international understanding is being further strengthened this week as it builds bridges with South Korea.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The school is currently playing host to a Korean teacher and her two children as part of the BRIDGE program.
Blayney Public is one of eight schools in Australia, and the only school in regional NSW, chosen for the program which links an Australian and a South Korean school.
It is partnered with Hakjang Elementary School in Busan, which is South Korea's second largest city.
Hakjang Elementary's English teacher, Woo Hyunju is this week working at Blayney Public School after joining Blayney Public Assistant Principal, Lilly Hatch for the BRIDGE orientation program at Melbourne University last week.
Ms Woo's two children 11-year-old, Shin Juhei and Shin Sangyun, 9, are tasting life in a Blayney classroom as well as demonstrating some of their skills, such as skipping and Tae Kwon Do and displaying the Korean national dress, the Humbul.
Mrs Hatch said the partnership between Blayney and Hakjang has got off to a flying start.
The students have already been communicating for a couple of months using a dedicated education network called Edmodo.
"They have been gaining a good insight into one another's lives," Mrs Hatch said.
"There is a contrast between the environments of the two schools, but we are finding students have things in common.
"Busan has a population of three-and-a-half million and Hakjang is in an industrial area.
"Both schools are of a similar size, although Hakjang has larger buildings because it once had a much bigger enrolment."
Mrs Hatch said that Ms Woo was most impressed by how much Blayney Public students already knew about South Korea.
"She was really excited about how the whole school and many of the parents have embraced learning the Korean language," Mrs Hatch said.
"It was lovely to have so many students saying hello in Korean.
"We have only been learning for a short time, but the students are very enthusiastic.
"Originally it was just going to be our BRIDGE class, but the excitement of learning spread across the whole school.
"As well as the very important impetus that learning another language can have to a child's development, knowing the Korea language and more about South Korea is valuable because it is one of our biggest trading partners and our links will only flourish in the years to come.
"Many of us do not know much about South Korea, but we certainly know products like Hyundai and Samsung which flow from the South Korean industrial giants."
Mrs Hatch flies to Korea in September during the Spring holidays for another BRIDGE workshop in the South Korean capital, Seoul and to teach at Hakjang Elementary School.
Other schools that along with Blayney Public that are part of the BRIDGE program are Melbourne Girls Grammar, Lindfield East Public, John Paul College, Thirroul Public and Kirwan State School.
