Irish schools up and coming after Brexit
English language businesses are currently booming in Ireland after Brexit kicked in back in 2021. What is more, a considerable amount of schools and universities around Europe are also now striving to make links with Irish organisations in the Republic of Ireland which is a EU member owing to the fact that the UK government decided to opt out of Erasmus+.
Muire gan Smal Presentation Primary school from Castleisland, Kerry, Ireland has been successful when it comes to gaining Erasmus+ funding from the EU. This has recently let them make new links with Italy, Denmark and especially with a school in Murcia, Spain for pupils and teaching staff exchanges.
As a result of these partnerships, staff from this school led by Mr Donal Gorman (Erasmus+ coordinator in the school) have visited a number of schools across Europe for job-shadowing and improvement of the Irish teachers’ digital competence and awareness of eco-friendly teaching practices
On top of that, the school managed to build up a reciprocal link with Nuestra Señora de la Fuensanta Primary school from Beniajan, Murcia, Spain. One of their two international coordinators, Mr Enrique Ruiz Cano, greatly helped the Irish school get involved with Erasmus+ and successfully bid for EU funding.
Mr Ruiz Cano is an English teacher apart from a EU project coordinator in that state school in Murcia, Spain. He also plays the role of Erasmus+ ambassador for the EU and is extremely passionate about making international links and the great benefits of being a EU member at this moment in time. Prior to Brexit, he used to lead a network of Primary schools in Devon (mainly in the Exeter area) which participated in several successful Erasmus+ projects. The UK is Mr Ruiz Cano’s actual second home as he has strong family links with Norwich, Norfolk and robust professional links with a wide range of schools up and down the country, especially in southern Wales, Devon and London.
As a consequence of all this, sixteen 10-11 year-old Spanish students from Mr Ruiz Cano’s current school in Murcia, Spain have recently visited Ireland and the school in Kerry in order to carry out an ample repertoire of activities with the Irish students and staff e.g. Irish sports like hurling or Gaelic football, robotics lessons, Science lessons, Social studies classes about the EU, intercultural workshops, and so on.
Mr Gorman (Irish Erasmus+ coordinator) and Mr Ruiz Cano (Erasmus+ coordinator in Spain) are hopeful this link will grow on a yearly basis for further exchanges between Spanish and Irish staff and children given the huge benefits Erasmus+ and EU programmes bring about, not merely for Higher Education students, but also for School Education pupils like in this particular case, with this successful initiative.
In addition, Mr Ruiz Cano also hopes the upcoming UK government makes a total turn around when it comes to Brexit and allows their educational institutions to re-join the Erasmus study scheme which used to bring about no end of benefits for Britain.
