Children in St. Raphael’s Primary School, Ballyfermot, Dublin, are set for an enhanced learning experience as satellite television is used to bring cultural awareness education into the primary schools curriculum.

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr. Eamon Ó Cuív, T.D. will launch this International Education Project at St. Raphael’s Primary School on Thursday 15th May at 11.30am.

This project will bring almost 200 countries, from the five continents, into the classroom, through the use of satellite technology.  Primary school children will be introduced to news, cultural events, history, science, and geography etc. from around the world in a practical way.  It is hoped to bring about an understanding of the changes in our own society by introducing other societies and cultures to the children and assist in the integration of new communities into the area.

“St. Raphael’s Primary School has been at the forefront of children’s education in Ballyfermot. Children must be challenged from an early age, but this challenging must be done through varying means and must be fun to keep children engaged.  This is a new experience for St. Raphael’s and will, having assessed the technology and learning tools available, prove very beneficial to the children” said Sean Moloney, Co Chair of the Ballyfermot RAPID Programme.

Minister Ó Cuív said, “This excellent project unites many of the key themes that characterise effective community development, in particular, the strategic focus on young people, the role of education in alleviating disadvantage, the use of technology to help break down barriers, and the role of the community organisation in fostering and promoting innovative projects.  I am delighted that the students of St. Raphael’s will benefit from this Dormant Accounts RAPID funding, and from the efforts of the Ballyfermot Community Association.”

The Ballyfermot RAPID Programme and Ballyfermot Community Association aims to ensure that priority attention is given to the area by focusing state resources available under the National Development Plan.  This unique project brings together a group of organisations that have been able to address an identified need and to secure funding through the RAPID Additionality Fund to develop the project.

The Intercultural Education Project is one of the many projects supported by the Ballyfermot RAPID Programme since its launch in June 2006.

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