Overseas students enjoy visit to Stewarton Academy

Dec 18 2009 by Ian Russell, Kilmarnock Standard

STUDENTS from Singapore have once again enjoyed a fantastic stay in Scotland – with Stewarton Academy playing a major role in the visit.

The exchange trip allowed the group from abroad to see how education works in Scotland, but it was a load of fun too!

It’s the third year running that Stewarton Academy has hosted such a group from the Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore.

This time round there were 16 students and two teachers here for a 15-day visit.

The Singapore students met their Stewarton ‘buddies’ and attended classes in school with them. They also enjoyed days out, including a visit to Edinburgh, taking in the spectacular castle and the Scottish Parliament.

Other trips took them to Glasgow on a cultural tour of the city’s galleries and museums and to St Andrews, where they stayed at Rusacks Hotel and toured the historic university.

The young visitors enjoyed meeting new friends and taking part in a variety of classes and activities. A highlight of their stay was a school concert in their honour, with Scots music and dance, in the Stewarton school.

The final Saturday was taken up with a tour of Kilmarnock FC’s Rugby Park – and a seat in the stand for some live action during an SPL encounter.

Councillor Jim Roberts, Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning, said: “It was great to welcome these young people to East Ayrshire. We have a reputation for being friendly and I think we kept that up. I hope they return to Singapore with a good idea of our culture and our values.”

Executive Director of Educational and Social Services Graham Short said: “These exchange visits help representatives of both countries to learn more about each other. This is the third year Stewarton Academy has hosted the students from the Hwa Chong Institution in Singapore and once again, it has been a great success.”