Press Release
Date: Thursday 20 October 2011 (NR/09/11)
History lesson for teachers at the Public Records Office
It was the turn of teachers this week to be taught something new. Almost 60 teachers visited the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) to gain an insight into the unique historical and current records handled at their new location in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.
The event was the latest in a series of teacher insight visits to prominent Northern Ireland (NI) organisations, coordinated by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), as part of its Learning for Life and Work programme, which focuses on preparing pupils for the world of work and adult life.
The insights gained allow teachers to pass on their new-found knowledge of well-known local organisations to their pupils. At PRONI teachers learnt about record management and the importance of cataloguing and properly preserving documents, many of which are hundreds of years old.
Vivienne Bannon, Learning for Life and Work, CCEA, commented:
CCEA is dedicated to supporting teachers in educating their pupils about the world of work and the wealth of job opportunities open to them in NI. The visit to PRONI was fascinating and the teachers have come away with a greater knowledge and understanding of the work that goes into preserving and protecting historical and current information such as church registers and school records.
Stephen Scarth, Head of Public Services at PRONI, commented:
It was a pleasure showing teachers around our new premises in the Titanic Quarter and providing them with a behind-the-scenes tour. We hope their experiences will enlighten their pupils to the vast material we house here, both private and public records, covering a period from around 1600 to the present day.
Head of Conservation Irene Hutton (left) shows teachers Clare Foster (Aquinas Grammar
School),
Tony Keeley (St Malachy's High School) and Dr Henry Jefferies (Thornhill College)
the importance of protecting and repairing historic documents
Curatorial Officer Carla McManus (far right) shows teachers Andrew Todd (Belfast Boys'
Model School), Sharon Cassidy (Belmont House School) and Louise Burke (Integrated
College Dungannon) around the 'A Century of Change, Conflict and Transformation' exhibition
CCEA's Learning for Life and Work Manager Vivienne Bannon (centre) with PRONI's Head
of Public Services Stephen Scarth (centre) and teachers David Armstrong (Sullivan
Upper School) and Helen McGee (St Mary's, Limavady)
Teachers Anne O'Hea (St Patrick's High Sch, Keady) and Brian Dunwoody (Limavady
Grammar School) check out the variety of historical records housed at PRONI's new
premises in the Titanic Quarter. Many of the documents date back to the seventeenth century
Additional Information
Learning for Life and Work
Learning for Life and Work (LLW) became mandatory in schools in September 2007 as part of the revised curriculum and it focuses on preparing pupils for the world of work and adult life. For the past four years schools across NI have been leading the way and championing CCEA initiatives that help implement the programme fully.
LLW incorporates four keys areas:
- Employability
- Citizenship
- Personal Development
- Home Economics
Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk
ENDS
Note to Editors
CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"
What we do
CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.
Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.
Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.
Awarding Qualifications
– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.
- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.
