Shared Education Programme Leads to Anti-Bullying Initiative
Dec 9, 2011 - 3:03:16 PM
P4
and P7 pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School, Enniskillen, Lisbellaw Primary
School, Jones Memorial Primary School, Enniskillen and Enniskillen Integrated
Primary School have been partners in the Shared Education programme for two
years. As part of their curriculum-based activities in Year Three of the
Programme, they collaborated to design and produce colourful and imaginative
calendars for 2012 – each with an anti-bullying message.
The
four schools are all within a five mile radius of each other and reflect some
of the various sectors including Catholic Maintained, Controlled and
Integrated. Their Shared Education Partnership identified bullying as a theme
on which the children could engage and work together. Through the Programme the
children met one another, got to know one another, learned about their
similarities and differences, while developing respect and tolerance for each
other.
Wider
community involvement has also been a key aspect of the Programme and
Partnership and the calendar launch was attended by parents, pupils, Governors,
other school principals from across Fermanagh and members of the local
community.
The
four principals – Fintan Murphy from Holy Trinity PS, Adele Kerr from
Enniskillen Integrated PS, Ingrid Logan from Lisbellaw PS and Sandra Isherwood
from Jones Memorial PS
- issued a joint
message saying:
“The
children from the four schools have been working together on Shared Education
for two years. This is our third year in partnership and our joint calendar is
a tribute to the hard work and commitment of the children, classroom assistants
and teachers involved. We would like to thank all our parents, the local
communities and the Governors of our schools for their support for Shared
Education. The benefits to the pupils and the schools have been immense, with
the children mixing and making friends in a natural way. Shared Education shows
there is hope for our children’s future where they will see others as friends
and neighbours, despite their different religions, cultures and backgrounds”.
Arlene
Foster, MLA, whose children participate in another Shared Education Partnership
in Fermanagh between Brookeborough PS and St. Eugene’s PS, The Knocks, attended
the event and she said: “This is another way of bringing young people from
across the divide together and the Shared Education Programme in Fermanagh is
going from strength to strength”.
Julian
Fowler, parent and BBC District Journalist spoke at the launch saying: “I want
to congratulate everyone for the work they put into producing these calendars.
They show what can be achieved by working together”.
Lauri
McCusker, Director of the Fermanagh Trust, which administers and manages the
programme, welcomed the publication of the calendar saying:
“These calendars by P4 and P7 pupils reflect not
just their efforts this term, but the commitment of the whole school community
in each school to Shared Education. Shared Education is relevant for all
sectors and in urban as well as rural areas. No matter how large or small the
school, collaboration brings social, educational and economic benefits to that
school and to the wider community. Through sharing and learning from one
another we actually find we have more in common than what separates us.
Focusing on the theme of anti-bullying is especially relevant because bullying
can affect children of all religions, classes and backgrounds. The Fermanagh
Trust would like to pay tribute to the Principals, school staff, children and
all involved in making Shared Education the success that it is”.
© Copyright 2011 by The Fermanagh Trust
WWW.FERMANAGHTRUST.ORG