Refugees' visit is an education

LESSONS LEARNED: Asylum seekers meet people at Dover Grammar School. Ref: pd 139645

SIXTH form students at Dover Boys' Grammar School found out about life in Afghanistan first hand when a group of young asylum seekers visited the school.

The group of Afghan refugee boys joined with the students for lunch and a discussion before going to Dover Leisure Centre to play five-a-side football.

The visit was organised by the school through the Devries Project, which was featured in the Mercury a few weeks ago, and which caters for 16 and 17-year-old boys who arrive in England seeking asylum.

This was the first time refugee youngsters had been invited to the school and gave both groups the chance to find out more about each others' lifestyles, experiences and cultures.

The visit was part of a week of special activities for the sixth formers which also included a talk by a survivor of the Holocaust, presentations by a local magistrate and a solicitor, an Egg Race in which they had to create egg-carrying vehicles - and a version of University Challenge.

"The week of activities provided a break from the classroom after the AS exams and before the start of the A2 courses," said teacher Mike Harrison.

"Students used the time to build team-working skills, engage in practical problem solving and learning more about their role as citizens."