OCDSB Director of Education Jennifer Adams and Kenya Teachers’ Service Commission Secretary/CEO/Head of Delegation Mr. Gabriel K. Lengoiboni (seated), Mr. Geoff Best, Mrs. Lucy W Njeru, His Excellency Simon Nabukwesi, High Commissioner, Kenya High Commission (Ottawa), Mrs. Josephine Maundu, Mr. Abdirizak H. Faram, and Mrs. Nancy N. Macharia (standing, l-r) (photo: John MacKinnon)
|
"Through dialogue with visiting delegates, we also benefit from learning about educational systems from an international perspective.
- Barry Bickerton, System Principal, Curriculum Services, OCDSB
|
|
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) is a common way for school boards to establish agreements for joint collaboration on education related initiatives.
Over the past few months OCENET has helped to facilitiate MOUs with Kenya and China. These agreements range from being very general to being very specific in terms of their conditions. All of the agreements have predetermined time limits and outline general goals over the term of the MOU.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Superintendent of Curriculum Services, Pino Buffone addressing a delegation of Swedish administrators about the OCDSB’s Strategic Plan
|
|
Mr. Wing Xiang Wang, Deputy Director of Education, Changle City, China, signing an MOU agreement with OCDSB Associate Director Walter Piovesan (photo: John MacKinnon)
|
|
Most of the agreements seek cooperation in the areas of instruction, educational research, information sharing, and curriculum development, as well as teacher and student training. In most instances there is an emphasis in the MOUs upon opening lines of communication and sharing resources through encouraging reciprocal visits among administrators and principals. The majority of the MOUs focus upon the mutual benefits of cooperating in areas of professional development and promoting teacher and student exchanges.
The keen interest of many educational jurisdictions in forming friendship and partnership agreements with the OCDSB and OCENET is a testament to the value other educators in many different parts of the world place on our local public educational system.
|
|
 |
|
Principal Carol Gage (second from left) hosting the delegation from Fujian Province, China, during its visit and tour of Greenbank Middle School
|