PUPILS at Our Lady Queen of Peace primary school in Janesboro had the opportunity to visit City Hall and meet the mayor and members of the council as part of an active citizenship programme. Fifth class pupils of teacher Shelly Cox who have been studying local government, which has become part of the curriculum at the school for the first time,, will sit an examination on the topic at the end of the year. The idea originated when school principal, Michael Ryan took a trip to Canada.
“The idea came about when I went to Toronto in October and visited the state legislator”, Mr. Ryan told the Limerick Post.
“While I was there a bus load of teachers and young people arrived and had the opportunity to meet their local representatives.
“They then sat an exam on the local authority and local government and this gave me the idea to formalise the study of government at our school”.
Speaking to the 24 female students who listened attentively in the Council Chamber, Mayor Maria Byrne explained the importance of voting and involvement with the community.
“It’s important to learn at an early age about the need to vote and it is excellent that you are being educated on what happens at your local authority.
“I am the 814th mayor and the 4th female mayor,” she told the pupils.”.
Referring to the mayor’s comments, Mr. Ryan addressed his pupils to highlight the low number of females that have worn the chain of office.
“It’s a terrible shame that Maria Byrne is only the fourth mayor in Limerick – I would be happy to see all of you young ladies take inspiration from her and, in the future, you could be the lady mayor of our city”
Mr. Ryan also thanked community co-ordinators Deirdre Quinn and Cathal Mullane who have been visiting the children at their school, encouraging them to think about their rights and responsibilities and how they can get involved in their community.
“I had the idea and I asked the community co-ordinators to organise it and they prepared it all.”
He told the pupils that next year they will study national government and visit Dail Eireann, a comment greeted with many murmurs of appreciation.
“By the time all students leave our school from now on they will have studied local and national government”.
The students have been following the election process and held their own mock election at the school.
“We had an election at the same time as the general election”, student Niamh McCormack told the Limerick Post.
“We voted for Willie Big Bang Casey, Katie Taylor and other personalities, and in the end Paul O’Connell was the winner”.
The pupils are also involved in communities in other parts of the world and have twinned with a school in Cape Town, South Africa under the ‘Amawele’ programme.
“We have been on Skype talking to the children in South Africa and we talked about Nelson Mandela because we had read about him, said Jessica Lynch.
Students from Our Lady Queen of Peace will feature on Nationwide on March 30 to discuss the Amawele project.
The Mayor Maria Byrne pictured with Chantelle Geary a 5th class student at Our Lady Queen of Peace in the Council chambers.
