A Canberra primary school is in the geo-political limelight after a visit to the school by the wife of the Japanese Prime Minister on Tuesday.
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The school also has a new relationship with a school in Laos where a new Australian aid deal was inked on the weekend.
The school has a Japanese language program and Mrs Akie Abe, currently touring Australia on the state visit was greated by the Ainslie School Principal, Kate Chapman.
Mrs Abe presented school students who came in despite the holiday period with books of Japanese stories and was then given a painting by indigenous artist Linda (Ngunginni) Huddleston.
The school also has a new sister-school relationship with Ban Hom Neua primary school in Laos.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop recently visited Laos and announced a deal to provide $86 million over four years for education in Laos at the same school.
“We sent pictures and books to Ban Hom Neua with the Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, which she was able to distribute directly to the children,” Ms Chapman said.
During Ms Bishop's visit to the school in Laos she collected pictures from the children to pass onto Ainslie Primary School.
Ms Chapman said she has previously hosted a delegation of education officials from Laos, including the Lao Minister for Education.
"They were particularly interested in asking about how we develop and support teachers," Ms Chapman said.
The school has had ties with Japan for over 30 years though a relationship with Tsubai Elementary School in the Japanese city of Nara. Canberra subsequently set up a sister-city relationship with Nara.
ACT Education Minister Joy Burch said Japanese was the most studied language in ACT public schools with nearly 9,000 students are studying the language.
“The teaching of languages other than English is a key part of the ACT’s curriculum, and is a very effective tool to broaden the students’ understanding of other countries and their cultures,” Ms Burch said.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Prime Minister Abe oversaw the signing of an agreement at the ANU that will see a new joint undergraduate degree offered in partnership with Kyoto's Ritsumeikan University.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young signed the agreement with Ritsumeikan University head, Professor Kawaguchi Kiyofumi. Mr Abe’s father visited the university in 1982 when he was a Japanese minister.