Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 9 May 1991

Vol. 408 No. 2

Written Answers - North-South School Exchanges.

Proinsias De Rossa

Question:

20 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Education if she has any plans to promote greater contact between schoolchildren in Northern Ireland and the Republic by way of more school exchanges, visits, sporting or cultural activities with a view to promoting greater understanding between pupils and students in both parts of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

I have had a number of meetings with the previous and present Ministers with responsibilities for education in Northern Ireland. These meetings have led to the establishment of very worthwhile cross-Border projects. Also my Department and the Department of Education in Northern Ireland, on an ongoing basis, seek to identify areas in which cross-Border co-operation and contact between pupils and teachers can be improved.

Schools in the North and South as well as in England are already co-operating in the European Studies Project. The aim of the project is to encourage pupils in the participating schools to explore the shared elements and the rich diversity in their heritage in a local and a wider European context. The project is co-funded by the Department of Education in Belfast, London and ourselves and a contribution is made by the Commission of the European Communities. Much of the exchange in the project takes place through the use of electronic mail but the project also involves residential programmes where pupils from the participating schools work together on topics involving history and geography. I intend to continue this programme into 1992 and then I plan in conjunction with the Departments of Education in Belfast and London to disseminate the results of the project. A detailed evaluation of the project is also being carried out at present and future policy will be influenced by the results of this evaluation.

The Department of Education in Belfast and ourselves are also initiating an environment education project involving 24 schools from North and South this school year. The project will be jointly funded by both Departments. A pilot programme of teacher exchanges between North and South is also being operated for the first time this year. The scheme will involve 20 teachers in the current school year.

Many schoolchildren participate in cross-Border exchanges under the schemes administered by the Youth Exchange Bureau on behalf of my Department and steps are being taken by the Youth Exchange Bureau and the Central Bureau for Educational Visits in Belfast to improve the quality of these exchanges in the future.

My Department also provides funding to Co-operation North towards the cost of their youth links and school links exchange schemes. I intend to continue this funding for the foreseeable future as I feel that the Co-operation North exchange schemes makes a valuable contribution towards mutual respect and understanding on this island. Regarding sporting activities, many sporting organisations are actively involved in promoting their own sport at school level and cross-Border co-operation is common in the areas of sporting knowledge and expertise. I am also aware of numbers of children from the North visiting outdoor education centres here which are funded by my Department.