DUBAI // A group of 30 Emirati teenagers is spending four weeks in Australia as part of a summer abroad programme.
The pupils from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain left last week for Bendigo, a city north of Melbourne.
"In addition to attending classes ... students will be going on excursions, sightseeing, and doing outdoor and indoor activities," said Ahmed Al Shamsi, a project manager at the Abu Dhabi Education Council. "These programmes are aimed at helping to raise cultural understanding, as well as gaining teamwork and leadership skills via role-playing activities."
The male students, aged 16 to 18, will stay with families while experiencing the country.
The council also sponsors summer abroad programmes in other parts of the world, including Canada, Ireland, the US, the UK and New Zealand for Grade 10 and 11 pupils.
"The families are really excited to have the boys stay with them," said Kerry McCuskey, international manager of the Bendigo TAFE programme, one of the trip's sponsors.
[ balqabbani@thenational.ae ]
