India: Where Geography and Theology MeetLast minute preparations are taking place for a group of students at BG to travel to India on 3 March. The group of Third Year students, who are studying for Education Studies & Geography or Education Studies & Theology degrees, will visit the country on a joint-subject field trip to study India from both geographical and theological perspectives.
Much of the visit will be based in Bangalore, where activities will include an historical-geographical traverse-study of the city, visits to local religious and geographical places of interest, and sessions on Indian art, history and culture. While in Bangalore, the group will be staying at The Land, Sangam Centre, Bangalore, an educational study centre run by Imo and Kiran Sahi. Imo is a former Geography teacher from Salisbury, England.
The group will also spend three days in Madurai, visiting the Meenakshi Temple and other local sites. From there, they will travel to SDETland health and education projects in Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu, giving focused attention to work with special needs pupils in some of their schools for children with physical and mental disabilities. SDETland (home of the Social Development and Education Trust) comprises several children's hostels, schools, a village health clinic, and a computer employment training center. The charity is supported by Lincs with India, a Lincolnshire based charity.
Most of the group will ultimately go on to train as teachers, so this visit will give them valuable first-hand experiences which they can bring back to their classroom teaching.
John Halocha, Head of Geography at BG: "This is an exciting new departure for our Geography students, allowing them an opportunity to see south Asia for themselves rather than just studying it in the distant comfort of the UK".
Mark Plater, Theology Tutor at BG: "These visits are hard work to organise but I'm sure it will be worth it. You can't really experience India without becoming immersed in it, and such experiences can be life-changing for young people. I'm very much looking forward to it".
The trip will be taking place between 3 and 13 March 2010.
