An Algerian, a Filipino, a Sri Lankan walk into a garden. . . [Independent.ie]
- Published: 15 June 2011
William Shakespeare, coining one of the most famous phrases in the English language, had Juliet tell Romeo: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
The bard's point was that it doesn't matter what we call objects because they have an essence beyond words.
As always, Shakespeare was spot on, but if he'd been running a modern primary school drawing pupils from a score of countries and cultures, he might have tweaked the line a bit.
The Thornleigh Educate Together National School in Swords, Co Dublin, has installed a Magical Sensory Garden, and its first and foremost purpose is to furnish a common ground for young children coming from many parent tongues.
A rose is still a rose whether it's named in Romanian or Chinese or Estonian, and the various features encourage the children to converse in the universal language of play, curiosity and discovery.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
