INTERNATIONAL LINKS BETWEEN SCHOOLS

That this House warmly congratulates the staff, children and parents of St Mary's Primary School in Whickham for the work they have done since 2002 through a twinning arrangement with St Anthony's Academy in the Nakuru region of Kenya; further congratulates pupils of St Mary's for gaining the UNICEF national award of Rights Respecting School; further notes that £7,000 has been raised by the school and local parish communities to provide clean water from a well dug, built and managed by the local community in Subukia, Kenya; acknowledges the role that Father Ithondeka played in strengthening relations between the two schools; is deeply saddened that Father Ithondeka was murdered by armed youths at an illegal roadblock during the recent disturbances; further notes that for three of the last six years the British Council has funded reciprocal visits for teachers from both countries enabling the link to grow and strenghten; is disappointed that this funding has now stopped though the link continues, and that visits will be reduced due to lack of funds; and urges the Government to support such links and to play a key role in returning Kenya to the path of peace and ensuring that basic human rights such as health, water and education for children are made available to all.