Claregalway Educate Together National School has been named Junior and Senior County Winner of the prestigious national art competition, Someone Like Me. The achievement secures the school a place at the national awards ceremony to be held at Dublin City Hall on Tuesday January 28, where they will join 50 other schools to compete for the much sought-after national senior and junior titles.
Now in its ninth year, the Someone Like Me art competition, which is organised by the National Disability Authority, attracted 2,783 entries from national schools across the country.
The competition was created as part of the National Disability Authority’s work to nurture more positive attitudes towards persons with disabilities. To date, it has seen more than 25,000 children take part in lesson plans and pupil activities designed to help them develop an awareness and understanding of visible and non-visible disabilities, drawing on their own personal experiences of disability in a bid to help create a more inclusive society.
Congratulating Claregalway Educate Together National School on being named county winners, director of the National Disability Authority, Dr Aideen Hartney said that the number of entries this year is a tribute to the commitment of Ireland’s primary school teachers, who continue to play an important part helping to create an ever-more inclusive Ireland.
“This year’s competition is set against the backdrop of a new Autism Innovation Strategy and work ongoing to develop a new National Disability Strategy," Dr Hartney added. "These provide the building blocks for a more inclusive society, where disabled people have equality of opportunity when it comes to participating in cultural, social and economic life and where positive attitudes prevail.
“The Someone Like Me art competition is an important way of building an acceptance and understanding of all disabilities amongst the primary school community, and developing an autism affirming society.
“Selecting the county winners was not an easy task for the judges and choosing an overall senior and junior winner will be an even harder job. And, while I know it will be an anxious wait for the pupils and teachers to hear which of the 52 county winners will be awarded the national titles, every pupil should be congratulated for their entries and for coming up with ways to include all people within society.”
Claregalway Educate Together National School will now go on to compete with 50 other schools from around the country for the overall Someone Like Me junior and senior awards, which will be announced at the national awards ceremony at Dublin City Hall on Tuesday, January 28.
The competition, which offers a range of prizes, including €500 each for the senior and junior winning schools, was open to all primary school pupils from junior infants to sixth class. Entries ranged from posters and collages to large sculptural installations and videos.
