The school that rewrites the rules [Independent.ie]
- Published: 21 February 2011
Ask a group of girls at one inner-city primary school how they'd describe themselves, and the answer comes back as quick as Dublin wit. "We're gorgeous," they shriek, with a healthy self-esteem that would be the envy of many adults. But it wasn't always so.
These youngsters come from one of the most disadvantaged areas of the city, where generational challenges of unemployment, addiction and domestic violence are common. Absenteeism rates at the school were high, and behavioural problems common.
But a programme called Early Focus is helping to change all that.
"Much of classroom time was spent dealing with angry outbursts," says one teacher from the Mater Dei primary school. "I remember getting punched full-force in the stomach by a kid in the playground, and that kind of incident was common."
Now a serene atmosphere characterises this thriving school of around 230 pupils, tucked away among the columns of council flats behind the old Guinness brewery at James's Gate.
So what's the secret? Peek into a few classrooms during a typical school day and you soon find out.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
