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EMU Coordinator: Mrs
A Kerrigan
At Ashfield Boys’ High School we believe that Education
for Mutual Understanding is about developing self-respect
and respect for others and the improvement of relationships
between people of differing cultural traditions.
It is our aim that all pupils will have the opportunity
to develop knowledge and understanding of themselves,
and how to handle and react appropriately to a range
of personal and social situations, therefore developing
respect for others and themselves, whilst also building
effective and healthy relationships. We provide pupils
with the opportunities to develop their knowledge and
understanding of conflict in a variety of contexts and
allow them the chance to learn how to respond to conflict
both positively and creatively. Pupils have the opportunities
to develop an informed awareness of the similarities
and differences between the cultural traditions which
influence people who live in Northern Ireland, and of
international and transnational influences on contemporary
culture.
In order to achieve our aims we have well established
links with Little Flower Girls’ School and through curriculum
based activities, pupils have the opportunity to work
together. All pupils are encouraged to develop their
understanding and to respect different cultural values
in an increasingly pluralistic and more global environment.
They have the opportunity to recognise the importance
of equality, tolerance and human rights in their society.
Our overall aim is to prepare pupils, so that they can
contribute to a just and democratic society.
Current programmes that we have in place are:
Senior School – Year 13’s
The attendance, punctuality and behaviour of our senior
pupils are monitored on a points system and the top
20 pupils in year 12 are selected for a residential
trip. The year 13 pupils work collaboratively in various
meetings held in both schools and in local leisure centres
before and after the residential trip and evaluation
is an ongoing part of the programme. This residential
is facilitated by the Horizon Project, which exists
to promote respect, trust and friendship among young
people, across religious and social divides, and to
enable students in Ireland's schools to become aware
of and to understand each other's culture.
Middle School – Year 11’s
Through a shared common interest in Art & Design,
pupil’s work together investigating and discussing potential
ideas for their GCSE Art & Design coursework. Barriers
were broken down between the young people as they work,
engage in discussion and play together at a visit to
the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. Visits to the
Ulster museum, places of historic and artistic interest
are included in the programme. Arrangements are made
for contemporary Ulster Artists to visit our school
and pupils have first hand experience of their work.
This trip is preceded and followed up by sessions facilitated
by Community Relations in Schools, giving the pupils
an opportunity to meet and build up friendships, which
will hopefully be sustained through other links.
Junior School
This is a Religious Education based link, which gives
Year 9 pupils an opportunity to work together exploring
aspects of our countries religion and practice, comparing
Christianity with Judaism. Pupils meet in a session
facilitated by Community Relations in Schools, followed
by a trip to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum and
an evaluation session.
Given that Education for Mutual Understanding as a cross
curricular theme, there are also many more programmes
in place that deliver the aims of the Education for
Mutual Understanding at Ashfield Boys’ High School.
In Business Studies, through the Young Enterprise programmes,
there is the Learning and Educating Together Programme
(LET) for Year 9’s and the KEY Programme for Year 11’s.
Both programmes are cross community and cross border
and we have developed links with Our Lady of Mercy,
North Belfast, St Joseph’s College and St Columbas,
Portaferry.
In Learning for Life and Work, contacts have been made
with Co-operation Ireland. In 2008/2009 it is hoped
that we will further our links with St Joseph’s College
and schools in the South of Ireland, so that pupils
can learn about our diverse cultural backgrounds and
help create a society which is based on tolerance and
acceptance of cultural difference.
We also have established links with the International
School for Peace Studies and have taken a group of Year
12 and Year 13 pupils on the ‘Messines Experience’ in
Belgium in 2005. The project is dedicated to the commemoration
of all those who fell in the Battle of Mesen/Messines
and to all those from all parts of the Island of Ireland
who were lost in the Great War. The aim is for all participants
to recognize their shared history and to work for peace
and reconciliation in the whole of Ireland. The trips
to Belgium are both cross community and cross border
and bring together pupils from all cultural and religious
backgrounds. In April 2008, we will be taking our second
group of pupils to Messines. This group are Year 11
pupils.
We are also involved in the Dissolving Boundaries Project,
which uses Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) to facilitate cross-cultural educational linkages
between schools in the North and South of Ireland. The
programme involves Year 10 pupils and we are currently
linked with Scoil Mhuire in Trim, Co Meath.
In September 2007, we hosted a group of pupils from
New York and together with the PSNI a group of Year
12 and 13 pupils participated in events designed to
showcase Northern Ireland and explore issues concerning
cultural diversity and racism. We held the International
Youth Forum on Racism at our school and this was attended
by pupils from New York and schools in the East Belfast
area, namely Orangefield High, St Joseph’s College,
Strathern and Bloomfield Girls’. The event was sponsored
by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
It is hoped that we will continue to build upon our
already well established links with both schools and
bodies working together to develop understanding and
respect for cultural diversity in Northern Ireland and
giving all pupils the opportunity to explore the associated
issues.
Contact Information for EMU links
1. International School for Peace Studies
c/o Maydown Ebrington Group
The Ebrington Centre
Glendermott Road
Waterside
Derry/Londonderry
N. Ireland
BT47 6BG
Tel: +44 (0) 28 71 311 005
R.o.I. 048 71 311 005
Fax: +44 (0) 28 71 311 637
2. Community Relations in Schools
Crannagh, 234 Upper Lisburn Road,
Belfast,
BT10 0TA
Tele: 02890 605250
www.cris-ni.org.uk
3. The Horizon Project
Crannagh, 234 Upper Lisburn Road,
Belfast,
BT10 0TA
Tele: 02890 605424
www.thehorizonproject.org
4. Co-operation Ireland
Unit 5, Weavers Court Business Park
Linfield Road
Belfast BT12 5GH
Northern Ireland
Phone: +44 (0)28 9032 1462
Fax: +44 (0)28 9089 1000
Email: info@cooperationireland.org
5. http://www.dissolvingboundaries.org/
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