Connecting classrooms

British MPs who visited Bahrain's schools paid tribute to the tolerance of the kingdom's students and said they hope lessons shared via the internet could be a possibility in the near future.

Labour MPs Claire Curtis Thomas from Crosby and Roberta Blackman-Woods from Durham along with Conservative Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans were invited to the island by the British Council whose programme Connecting Classrooms has linked 15 Bahraini schools with their UK counterparts.

At the end of the trip, Ms Curtis Thomas said: "What I think is extraordinary is ... the UK is a very secular kingdom and faith plays a marginal role in society. Here, of course, faith is a continuum through education and I found it very interesting to be amongst pupils who had a prescribed set of values as laid out in the Quran and that permeated their daily existence.

"Their interpretation of the Quran is a long, long way away from how extreme Islamists see the Quran. Our perception of what perhaps a follower of Islam might be is contorted by the activities of terrorists within our country purporting to follow Islam.

"And suddenly we have got wonderful, kind, caring boys in one part of the world living and breathing their faith. And that doesn't provide any difficulty or threat to people in society who share similar values without a faith structure. And I found the normality of that very interesting to perceive."

The three MPs toured Umm Kulthom Intermediate Girls School in Isa Town, which has links with Park High School in Birkenhead; Abdul Rahman Al Dakhel School in Exhibition Road which is partnered with Belmont School in Durham and Al Imam Al Ghazali Intermediate Boys School in Hamad Town that has teamed up with Sholing Southhampton.

They described the programme as a catalyst to something that would otherwise not have happened and were delighted that using social networking sites like Facebook, students were talking to each other for the first time and were able to express themselves on various topics of mutual interest.

Delighted at having mingled with youngsters who are full of enthusiasm and confidence, Mr Evans said: "I think it's exciting that schools from both countries are talking to each other. We only have 15 schools on this project at the moment and we want to see more schools linked.

"The scheme is really handy in breaking down barriers amongst young people, which is an investment for the generations to come.

"There is more that unites these youngsters than divides them."

Ms Blackman-Woods said: "Such interactions help bring the cultural aspects of both countries to life.

"Students in the UK are taught in an academic sense what Eid is and what Ramadan is but a connection with young people who are living that culture is really important.

"In five years time I would hope to see them having joint lessons."