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In Dublin traffic was always a problem but in recent years it has grown out of all proportions. The use of fossil fuel is unsustainable and Change must happen.Most children who attend our school live near by . We have increased the number of children who walk and cycle to school through various campaigns like the the walking bus and scoot to school.But this is no longer enough- any child who can walk or cycle should be expected to do so.This could be done by a reward scheme and classes competing against each other etc, This worked very well with the Scoot to school.
During covid we relaxed our composting in order to avoid handling of others belongings etc. Now we must reintroduce it to all classes and the Gardaí Glasa can help compost from each class to the central bin on Fridays
My third initiative would be to have a food growing corner in the garden for each class. Living in a city has deprived many of knowing where food really comes from – this would be a very enjoyable project for all .I am sure that all schools would love to have green energy in the form of solar panels but unfortunately cost is a deterent. Maybe we could get our pupils to start a campaign to The Minster Norma Foley to sponsor the installation of solar panels on all schools – it would be a saving in the long term.
We got involved in a tree planting scheme that is now nation wide – Bugs, Bees and Native trees. Their aim is to plant a million trees – children love challenges and a number to aim at.
It is great to have such a diverse school population but it comes with challenges – language in the classroom being the biggest . Not enough support is on offer for langauge support- parents would be happy to give additional help with this but red tape is often a block,
When the war broke out in Ukraine there was an outburst of support for the Ukrainians – sympathy was given and we the Irish embraced them as best we could. In our school we had our most profitable cake sale ever to support the Ukrainian cause. The most helpful thing to really educate our pupils about the situation was that a few families from the Ukraine had moved into our area and were neighbours of the pupils – Some of these families were invited to come along to the cake sale on the day. They came and were delighted with our support. The children learnt true empathy and understood what it was like to be away from all you held dear. One family had left their cat behind – this caused a lot of upset for the Irish children – something they could relate to.
With all the antimigration demonstrations in Ireland at the moment it is now more important than ever that the pupils are given the facts – education is the key- the amnesty video that we watched will give the message clearly from the voice of a child .There are many refugee support groups in our area as therev are refugees and the children should be encouraged to participate in some way – even giving the local refugees an invitation to join in their local sports club.The buddy system would be a great idea to help new comers integrate into a new situation. The language can be a big barrier in the classroom but in the playground the language is common – play and children can commumicate without words.
The access to education on a global basis is something I would like to highlight with the pupils in my schoolI.It is shocking that as many as 67 million worldwide are without this basic right and even more shocking that gender discrimination is one of the key issues used to deny girls of this basic need. The fact that education or lack of education is a primary cause of keeping communities in poverty must be highlighted to all. Lack of access to education here in Ireland is an issue that often goes unnoticed or ignored. I work in a middleclass area and education is a given for our privileged students and thank goodness it is so, I would as far as saying that third level education is open to the vast majority of them if they so wish – They have a choice. A choice that is supported by their families and community. The importance of educating them to the fact that this is not a given even here in Ireland not to mention Developing Countries is crucial.Project based learning will teach that this should be addressed and that it is something that we cannot take for granted. Free Education was not always available here in Ireland.
The Dreamspace project sounds very interesting and I would love to involve our pupils in it or something similar.It really brought things to life for your pupils and gave real meaning and relevance to issues like conservation of energy and other important problems that we are faced with.
I think it is important that we use gender neutral language in order to be inclusive but also to normalise its use.
Rachel Blackmore is a huge inspiration for all females young and old – she broke down gender stereotypes with her becoming such a successful jockey, being the first female to win the grand National to name only one of her achievements in a sport that was male dominated. In 2021 when she hit the news every day during Cheltenham as she became leading jockey we showed her in all classes and built classes on her success – illustrating that girls too can be anything they want to be.
During Aistear in school stereotypes are very evident – girls minding dolls or crafting, the boys being minded or in charge of building etc. We the teachers ensure that we expect all to participate in all activities but often it is engrained in some, but teachers need to set the bar and demand change. Class jobs need to be given out equally mindful that gender isn’t a deciding factor on who gets what to do.
I like the idea of cherishing all children equally as a moto that all pupil should be introduced and endoctrinated with – its always been in the background of belief here in Ireland but noe its time to develop the concept.
The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World,” by Ehigie emphasises the importance of developing a united world community in order to promote understanding of each other and progress in developing a more sustainable co-existence. Education is the key to this and Development Education at all levels of schooling will teach pupils about the important issues that the world faces – issues such as poverty, climate change, diversity and inequality. Development Education will promote the 3 key elements of understanding through the Head, Heart and Hand so that pupils will understand the issues, empathise and then act on what is needed. This is Active Education. In Primary school pupil are very involved in Green schools which has a Global citizenship element within it. This is a great way of encouraging active involvement in Global issues – environmental issues like recycling and water conservation to name but two. But classes must be taught on specific issues and problem to ensure that these important message are brought to all pupils at the level that they will understan
