PUPILS in Orford have more in common with African school children than they first thought thanks to an enlightening visit by their teacher.

Adam McMillan, head of RE at William Beaumont High School, visited a school in Mwanza in Tanzania with youth workers from the town with the aim of helping children form a link between the two cultures.

Mr McMillan spent 10 days working in Mwanza over the Easter holidays and taught a lesson of culture and identity to the children who have pay for the privilege of being educated.

He said: "The children were really respectful of education. Their families have had to pay for it and they see education as a way out of unemployment."

The 31-year-old said that the life changing trip allowed him to see the challenges the school faces as it operates without electricity.

He said that the African pupils learned about what similarities they had with English children rather than belittle them with obvious differences in technology and equipment.

A connection between the Orford school and the Mwanza school has now been introduced to enable the pupils to focus on the similarities between the two very different cultures.

He added: "Our pupils were totally engrossed when I showed them the pictures. They couldn't ask enough questions. The link will be used in the curriculum to understand the different cultures and faiths and it will be used in citizenship and geography."

Mr McMillan hopes that the new link between the schools will give students to opportunity to travel to Tanzania in the future to experience life in an African school.