These partnerships provide authentic learning opportunities through engagement with students from other cultures and can be a powerful tool in educating a generation of active, global citizens, and preparing them for a world that is increasingly interconnected.
School partnerships can have a profound and positive impact on the whole school, such as:
- develop intercultural capabilities in students, staff and the broader school community
- cultivate respect for and appreciation of cultural and worldview diversity
- focus on a whole-school approach to global learning
- effectively embed language learning and the capabilities components of the Victorian Curriculum F-10 Version 2.0
- facilitate connections between cultures, communities and networks
- provide opportunities for professional learning to build teacher capacity
- foster community engagement.
Benefits for students
School partnership can contribute to developing global competence and improving student learning outcomes.
For students, benefits include:
- opportunities to deeply engage with people from other cultures and/or countries
- increased appreciation of diverse cultures, including their own
- authentic application of language learning and communication skills
- opportunities to build long term global connections and friendships
- enhanced technology skills and personal and social capabilities, such as independence, leadership and inclusive practices
- development of the skills and knowledges required to become local, national and global citizens, living and working together in an interconnected world.
Benefits for school staff
For school staff, benefits include:
- opportunities to share and learn from collective experience
- increased awareness of different education systems, pedagogies and curriculum
- opportunities to integrate global citizenship and intercultural capability learning across learning areas
- opportunities to gain different worldviews and insights into global challenges and topics
- greater competency and confidence in language learning and communication skills.
Benefits for school community
For the school community, benefits include:
- increased global mindedness of the whole school community
- opportunities to connect with local diaspora communities.
To learn more about how to establish and sustain successful sister school partnerships, download the resource kit below.
Compliance requirements for Victorian government schools
Under the Australia's Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020 (the Act), Victorian schools interested in entering into a new written agreement or varying an existing arrangement with an overseas school, must seek approval from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade prior to negotiating and entering into any arrangements. This extends to any written arrangements, agreements, contracts or memoranda of understanding and sister school partnerships between Victorian government schools and foreign entities, including overseas governments, universities, and other schools.
For more information on relevant legal and policy requirements, including compliance with the Australian Government Foreign Relations Act, visit: Policy and Advisory Library (PAL):
