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Local children dissolving boundaries through north-south initiative

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

Local school children are building their knowledge of ICT and expanding their horizons through participation in a north-south collaboration initiative.

That was the message from Education Minister Caitríona Ruane as she attended an event at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown, to showcase cross-border projects with an ‘Enterprise’ theme undertaken as part of the Dissolving Boundaries Programme this year.

Speaking at the event the Minister said: “I am always very keen to develop and support opportunities for our pupils and teachers to engage across both the education systems on the island. The Dissolving Boundaries programme does just that, making use of the latest communications methods to help young people work together right across Ireland.

By focussing on enterprise in their projects, the participants are gaining an excellent insight into the world of business and developing valuable skills for later life.”

Supported by the Joint Business Council for the Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation and the Confederation of British Industry, the initiative partnered schools north and south to work together on a range of business-themed projects using high-tech video conferencing technology.

Project teams delivered their final presentations at the event to an audience of top academics and business stakeholders, including Directors of IBEC and CBI.

The Minister continued: “I commend the University of Ulster and National University of Ireland who, with the support of IBEC and the CBI, have worked hard to deliver the programme.”

Notes to editors:

  1. The Department of Education delivers £150,000 of assistance to the programme per annum.
  2. To date over 400 schools have participated in the Dissolving Boundaries programme since it was initiated in 1999.
  3. The enterprise projects were sponsored by the Joint Business Council for IBEC and CBI.
  4. Media enquiries to the Department of Education Press Office Tel: 028 9127 9207. Out of office hours, contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 076 99 715 440, and your call will be returned.