Local Schools Receive Eco-schools Green Flag Awards

St Brigids Primary School, Drumilly and Holy Cross Primary School, Attical received their first Green Flags while St Clares Convent Primary School, Newry and St Josephs Primary School, Meigh were awarded their renewal Green Flags after being first time winners previously. These schools join other local schools who have already been awarded Green Flags such as St Malachys Nursery School, Newry, St Colmans College, Newry and St Josephs Primary School, Bessbrook.

The Eco-Schools Programme is a programme which addresses environmental issues both within the school environment and also in their local communities. It is about influencing and educating young people, their families, their teachers and also local authorities about the need for change and finding solutions to implement these changes. As part of the programme, pupils are encouraged to take an active role in reducing the environmental impact of their school and issues such as waste, litter, healthy eating, transport and energy are all taken into consideration and monitored. Pupils are encouraged to use their own initiative and ideas to take control of their environment and make decisions about how they can implement changes for the better.

The Eco-Schools Programme was founded in 1994 with the aim of involving young people with finding solutions to sustainable development. In Northern Ireland the Eco-Schools Programme is managed by TIDY Northern Ireland, who are an environmental charity. The charity survives on funds from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency for Eco-Schools as well as contributions from a vast majority of the 26 local councils and private partnerships. All five education and library boards are also involved in the programme.

The programme is rapidly becoming more and more popular as schools try to work towards improving their environment through both action and education of its pupils. The programme is also expanding worldwide in countries such as America, Asia, Africia and across Europe, with 45 countries now enrolled with the programme. The Eco-Schools Green Flag is a widely respected sign of environmental performance and education.

At present Northern Ireland is ranked sixth out of the participating 45 countries and was in fact the first country to award a Green Flag to one of its schools, being Down Patrick Nursery in June 1994. There are nearly 600 schools registered with the programme in Northern Ireland and 140 of those have been awarded Green Flags, which is highly commendable given that only 6000 Green Flags have been awarded worldwide. Overall 68% of schools are now registered with the programme in the Newry & Mourne District.

Whilst it is a great achievement for both pupils and staff to have been awarded the Green Flag, it is important to consider the long term and continue the good work and practices that have been implemented to ensure that each school can renew their Green Flag Award as St Josephs Primary School, Meigh and St Clares Convent Primary School have successfully done.