Schoolchildren to gain from international development resource pack launched by Minister of State Conor Lenihan T.D.

Irish schoolchildren will benefit from extra resources for the teaching of international development from today when a new pack for schools is launched by Minister of State, Conor Lenihan T.D.

The resource pack, Education for All, is an educational toolbox for the teaching of international development. Funded by Irish Aid, it contains imaginative ideas, from creating posters, to writing mini-dramas and television adverts, all designed to help children understand the links between their lives and the lives of people living in less developed countries.

Launching the initiative at St. Aidan's Community School, Brookfield, Tallaght, Minister of State Lenihan said:

“I am pleased that Irish Aid has been able to provide funding for this resource pack. We hope to make global and development issues part and parcel of an Irish education.”

As a contribution to the Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE) course at second level, the new resource pack is part of Government's increased commitment to development education. This year over € 4.5 m has been allocated to supporting development education initiatives and programmes in both the formal and non formal education sectors.

Minister of State Lenihan said:
“With the significant increases in our Overseas Development Aid budget comes the responsibility to inform and enlarge the Irish public's understanding of development issues and challenges.”

Notes for editors:

(1) Education for All is published by the Irish Coalition for the Global Campaign for Education. Members of the coalition include: Action Aid Ireland, Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), Concern, Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI), Oxfam Ireland, Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI), Union of Secondary Students (USS).

(2) Irish Aid, a division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, is the Irish Government's programme of assistance to developing countries. Its name changed from Development Cooperation Ireland on 27th February 2006.

(3) Conor Lenihan T.D. is Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs for Development Cooperation and Human Rights.

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Press Office
07 March 2006