RESPECT IN ABUNDANCE AT CARNINY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Pupils at Carniny Primary School recently welcomed a visitor to tell them about his work in a school in a town called Itaperucu in Brazil. Originally a teacher himself in Northern Ireland, Mr Logan explained how he and his wife felt lead to travel to Brazil to work with a mission Monte Horebe in the town of Itaperucu. Their work there involves working in a school offering a basic education to approximately 260 very needy and appreciative children.

He also explained the stark contrast in wealth across the small town, ranging from relatively well to do suburbs to slum-like areas where many homeless children sleep on the streets.

This year all teachers, staff and pupils at Carniny are looking in depth at the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This declaration of human rights contains 42 Articles, each of which outlines a basic right of all children. Each UN member government is to endeavour to ensure that these rights are accessible to all children. Such rights include: right to a primary education, right to clean water, right to a loving home, right to caring parents, and many more.

Carniny Primary School is committed to ensuring that all its pupils feel that their rights are being addressed. Many initiatives have been in place for some time, while some have been introduced in order to make these rights accessible for the children. For example: School Council; the school’s policy of inclusion of all children; Healthy Break policy; playground buddy system; ongoing class to class links with schools in France, Belgium, Hungary, Austria, Sweden, Basque Country, Italy; and many more.

Mr Ross, School Principal, commented, “We are committed at all levels, from Board of Governors to pupils, to creating a positive and safe learning environment where the basic rights of all pupils are met. We wish our pupils to feel important and valued, and to have active participation in the decision-making process within the school.”