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Launch of multi-cultural educational booklet


There are many pieces of research that show if parents are interested in what their children are doing in school, children do much better.
This is the main theme of a Comenius Regio EU-funded RoFaL project running in Ennis between four groups – Clare Family Learning Project, part of Clare Adult Basic Education Service, Clare Immigrant Support Centre, Educate Together National School and Ennis Community College.
The project in County Clare is twinned with six partners in Aydin, Turkey, including a local primary school and university. One of the main objectives of the partnership is to produce a booklet for supporting parents to help their children learn.
The booklet, called Helping Your Children Do Well In School, is in Czech, Slovak and English and has been illustrated by children in Ennis Educate Together National School and Ennis Community College.
The booklet was officially launched in Ennis Community College by Anca Minescu, lecturer in psychology in UL and researcher for the Migration, Ethnic relations and Multiculturalism Group.
Czech and Slovak parents with children attending Ennis Educate Together and Ennis Community College were invited with their families to the launch. The children’s artwork was on display and each family got a copy of the booklet, which is specific to the Ennis area.
The booklet developed out of a survey of parents who all said they wanted to help their children to do well in school but were looking for more support on how to do this.
The County Library displayed a range of materials they have available for parents, adults and children in both English and other languages.
The relaxed and friendly evening was vibrant, with lots of discussion as well as a great selection of music and Irish, Czech and Slovak foods.
The project continues until June 2012 and there are plans to continue with classes for parents including improving your English language skills and understanding the Irish education system.
The parents all welcomed the booklet as a great support to them and their children. They were especially delighted to see the importance of their own languages acknowledged in this dual-language publication. Research has shown that children brought up bilingually can benefit in many ways, educationally, socially and culturally. For the project, they have focused on new community parents from Czech Republic and Slovakia, whose children are in school in Ennis.
There are lots of ways parents can help their children learn – looking at what their children have been doing in school each day, helping and encouraging children to do homework and keeping in touch with the school and their children’s teachers. Being positive about learning and school is also very important. Simple and practical actions such as providing a good, healthy and varied diet and encouraging suitable bedtimes also means children are more ready and able to learn.
The project also offers many opportunities for parents to learn for themselves. It will be offering a variety of classes this term including English, computers, cookery, parent and child together fun science and dads and children together sport.
If anyone would like any more information on the project, contact Clare Family Learning Project, 065 6897645 or 087 3710316.

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