Lisburn schools celebrate being awarded Eco Schools Green Flags
There were celebrations across Lisburn at the end of term when 22 local schools were awarded prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flags.
McKinney Primary School and St Ita’s Primary School were awarded title of Ambassador School for their outstanding performance.
Eco-Teacher of the year was awarded to Lena Law from St Joseph’s Primary School.
Eco-Pupil of the year was awarded to Kyle from Carryduff Primary School and Eco-School of the year was awarded to Knockmore Primary School.
Eco-Schools is an international programme, managed locally by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Eco-Schools is run in 79 countries through the Foundation for Environmental Education. Of these 79 countries, Northern Ireland is only the second country to achieve this impressive milestone.
Local schools collected their Green Flags at an awards ceremony in St Patrick’s Hall, in Lisburn - the culmination of two years of hard work.
Achieving a Green Flag requires schools to participate in a challenging seven stage programme, beginning with the establishment of a pupil-led Eco-Committee, and leading to the development of a school Eco-Code. Along the way the Eco-Committee must carry out a full environmental review of their school, develop a detailed action plan and monitor its implementation. Schools fly their flags for two years before they must reapply.
Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, Alderman Amanda Grehan said: “It’s a tremendous honour for Lisburn and Castlereagh to be the setting for this year’s Eco-Schools Green Flag Awards.
"Reaching the milestone of over 50% of schools in Northern Ireland earning a Green Flag is an outstanding achievement, and it’s a clear reflection of the passion, innovation and commitment of our young people, educators and communities.
"These schools are leading the way in creating a more sustainable future, and I’m incredibly proud to help celebrate their success.”
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir said: "I want to congratulate all those schools receiving Green Flags this month and pay tribute to the hard work of teachers and pupils alike.
"I am delighted that this year, we have reached a milestone of 50% of schools in Northern Ireland now flying a Green Flag.
"It is encouraging to see the strong environmental knowledge and awareness within these school communities, as younger people will play a vital role in shaping a sustainable future for us all.”