Top honours for local parents at graduation event

The Building New Communities through Positive Parenting and Reconciliation (BNCPPR) Project paired schools on a cross-community basis to deliver a highly-structured parenting and reconciliation programme.

Ballysally and Kylemore nursery schools came together for the project.

Participants on the programme have the option to advance to an accredited Open College Network (OCN) Level 2 training qualification while teachers and classroom assistants have access to special training that compliments the parenting methods.

The project involved parents from eight schools that were paired on a cross-community basis and drawn from areas in the North Eastern Education and Library Board catchment.

It is funded by the International Fund for Ireland through its Sharing in Education Programme, and managed by the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB).

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, John Carson from the International Fund for Ireland, said: “This is a high quality programme that instils confidence and practical parenting knowhow while tackling difficult issues. It is successfully helping parents to prevent and breakdown negative attitudes and behaviour.”

Michael Devine, BNCPPR Project Manager, said: “Parents from all walks of life want the same thing, for their children to be happy, safe and successful. Parenting can be an enabler for better community relations and dissolve old mindsets. It is important that the right resources are made available to help parents make a lasting impact.”