It was time for action for the 114 teachers from 20 countries who had found their way to Blindern - the campus of the University of Oslo - yesterday. They spent a sunny day doing various polar experiments, learning how to make traditional sami food and of course acquired new polar knowledge.

Elena Kochkina has been a teacher for more than 30 years.Education has been an important and fully integrated part of The International Polar Year. A few days before the big IPY Oslo Science Conference, teachers and other educators were given a chance to share their experiences during their very own conference, the PolarTEACHERS conference.

- It's fantastic to be here. This is actually my first trip abroad, Anna Nikolaeva (22) said. She is part of a delgation of teachers coming from The Sakha (Yakutia) Republic.

- We are here to exchange experiences with other teachers and to make new relations, she said. Nikolaeva is teaching English to reindeer herders children in the Zhilindinskaya school.

Elena Kochkina is also from the Sakha Republikc. She has been a teacher for more than 30 years, mainly teaching mathematics. She points out that the ministerium of her republic regards school and education as very important.

- Where I live, there are only 200 people, but we still have a school, she said.