A GROUP of schoolgirls aim to raise £3,000 for youngsters who are still educated in outdoor classes of 50 and without books or computers.

That's the reality of education at the Mboweni Senior Primary School on the outskirts of Pretoria, in South Africa.

But their newfound friends at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls - after witnessing the conditions there on video - are hoping to change the outlook by offering long-term support.

The Altrincham girls have vowed to raise £3,000 for the purchase of books for their South African counterparts.

The girls were visited by officials from the South African High Commission, who endorsed the partnership between the two schools.

Pupil Nancy Butler, 16, from Hale, said: "It's really different from the school environment here. They have up to 50 children in one class and poor facilities.

"Teachers are not getting proper training. They haven't got proper buildings and they have no books.

"Sometimes people are taught outside. They don't have a library. It's really strange to think that what the government provides here and what we take for granted."

Head Dana Ross-Wawrzynski says there may be scope for sixth formers to visit the school in South Africa and for staff from the Mboweni school to travel here.

Ms Ross-Wawrzynski said: "This is far more than just a one-off charity commitment from this school to the South African school. Our greatest ambition would be to help with the building of a new school.

"It's wonderful to have our own children helping children in other parts of the world."

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