Learning bears fruits

Liverpool primary school, St Michael in the Hamlet, received a high energy, interactive food-and-science spectacle from BBC’s Stefan Gates, after winning a nationwide competition to learn about South African food and culture.

The school’s collage on the theme of ‘A taste of South Africa’ won first prize, along with £1,000 for school resources.

Kirsty Knutsen, Year 2 teacher at St Michael in the Hamlet, said: “We were so excited that we won the 2016 Help a South African School competition.

“Putting the collage together was such a fun and novel way to teach St Michael’s children about the fascinating history, culture and geography of South Africa, as well as the importance of Fairtrade.

“We loved learning about the different fruits they grow, and to win £1,000 as well as the amazing and educational show by Stefan Gates was just brilliant.”

Primary schools across the UK submitted collages based on the theme. The aim of the competition was to increase awareness and provide support for South African fruit farming.

Alongside the competition was the opportunity to donate unwanted books, which were collected from schools free of charge and shipped to South Africa.

Illiteracy is a big problem in South Africa and their schools are in desperate need of resources; particularly reading and text books for under 13-year-olds.