50 SCOTS ON EXCHANGE WEEK

FIFTY Scottish student are spending a cultural week in Majorca as patrt of an exchange programme between Majorcan institutes and secondary education centres in North Lanarkshire. The aim is to encourage cooperation among students of different cultures and encourage them to learn the language. “It is a social programme, the students go shopping, go on excursions and eat together”, explained the head of International Programmes at the Balearic Ministry of Education and Culture, Margalida Vidal. There are currently six Majorcan institutes co-operating with six Scottish secondary schools. The Balearic Minister for Education and Culture, Francesc Fiol, yesterday received the Scottish coordinator of the exchange programme, Brian Miller. During the reception, the Minister said that both Ministries paid for the air fares and the accommodation of the exchange students, and added that the aim is to encourage the learning of foreign languages without the families of the participating students having to spend a lot. Finally, Vidal thanked the Minister for his collaboration and for making it easy for Majorcan and Scottish students to enjoy some exchange days thanks to a project which has been in place since 2003, although she said the project should be widened as many students do not take part in the exchange programme.