Saldus novada pašvaldības Striķu pamatskola (Latvia)

Striki Primary school (9 classes, students aged 7-15) is a small school situated in rural area near a town Saldus. There are 70 pupils, 10 pre – school group children (5 and 6 years old), and 10 teachers working at school full time. The school is surrounded by woods, meadows, providing excellent conditions for nature education. The distance from the capital city is 120 km, which is an advantage for forming children’s wider cultural experience (learning excursions, theater performances, museums etc.). The school is situated in a disadvantaged area, during Soviet times the land was used as a military polygon, and the people were forbidden to live there. Due to these circumstances the number of population is still very small, but the school attracts pupils from the town.
The school realizes basic education program with extended teaching in English. During the school year 2010/2011 our school was piloting English teaching syllabus for 6 years old children. The pupils are also introduced with the basics of Religious Education and every morning begins with a short service. We work with students of different learning abilities. There are different club activities, for example, choir, Nature club, Crafts, Drama, Dancing, Art, available for the pupils in the afternoons. Although the school is small, and we all live like in a family, the situations of students’ misbehavior happen. We also need to learn principles of democracy, so the idea of the project focuses on pupils` interests and needs.
 The school is active in participating in different environmental projects. We have also had experience with national level projects. The staff of the school has experience in individual Comenius In-Service Training courses.
But Striki Primary school has never participated in Comenius Multilateral school partnership projects yet. One of the important aims in the school’s Development Plan is CLIL, and the project will greatly benefit in achieving the aim. The partnership will provide an added value to traditional learning and teaching, by bringing in new and creative approaches. It will help students and teachers raise their awareness of European and Eastern cultures, improve their language skills and exchange opinions on discipline and democracy as the values of life.