THE maxim “think global, act local” is being fulfilled at Footscray Primary School.
The school is holding its biannual Global Jamboree, a celebration of the multicultural make-up and diversity of its population.
About three of every four of the school’s 222 pupils have a foreign language background.
Principal Philip Fox says about 30 different nationalities are represented and the school is trying to provide a “rounded, worldly education” that goes beyond literacy and numeracy.
“We have an international focus trying to build respect and understanding for other cultures.
“The key is getting them to think, ‘You’re from a different culture so my perspective may be different, but that doesn’t mean I’m right and you’re wrong’.”
That global outlook is fostered in the curriculum, and the school is reaping academic rewards. The latest literacy and numeracy test results on the MySchool website show that the school performs above the national average for most measures in grades 3 and 5.
The Global Jamboree will be held at the school, Geelong Road, Footscray, from 5-8pm next Friday.
