‘Embrace your multiple talents’ – the voice of the young person
IWOULD like my school to embrace creativity and the arts in the same way it does sport. Both are fundamental elements of life and play important roles in the life of the average modern teenager. However, I feel that there is an unbalanced scale.
Sport gets more funding and more attention and because of this, people tend to look down on more artistic endeavours. I would like my school to encourage a balance in activities: you don’t have to just be a camogie player, or just be a pianist. You can be a renaissance woman: embrace your multiple talents and interests, not just the ones that will gain you more attention.
A really creative school wouldn’t look like a school at all. It would not be a corporate building block, or a miserable mass of concrete. A creative school would be a collection of mismatched buildings; red brick houses, ice cream coloured cottages, aged castles and modern glass structures, all cobbled together in a vibrant hub. The walls would be covered with murals and explosive graffiti, and strung with flags and symbols of all kinds. There would be paint splatters, an in-house theatre (art for all, not just those who can afford it, fully equipped with all stage necessities, a writing centre, a library, a full professional kitchen.
A creative school would have no dress code or uniforms; you can wear your pyjamas if you feel like it. A creative school would be a democracy, where the student voice would be a part of decision-making.
Ba mhaith liom scoilleisangcruth leis na healaíona s nglactar le spóirt. ina ngnéithe bunú agus tá ról tábhach ghnáthdhéagóra sa Measaim, áfach, go éagothrom ann.
Faigheann na sp maoiniúcháin agu aird orthu (i.e. com agus, dá bharr sin, mbíonn meas ag d leagann béim níos
healaíona. Ba mhaith liom go spreagfadh mo scoil cothromaíocht maidir le gníomhaíochtaí: ní gá gur imreoir camógaíochta nó pianódóir tú agus é sin amháin. Is féidir leat a bheith i do bhean athbheochana: trí ghlacadh leis an iliomad buanna agus ábhar spéise atá agat, ní amháin na cinn a tharraingeoidh níos mó airde ort.
Ní bheadh cuma scoile ar chor ar bith ar scoil atá fíorchruthaitheach. Ní foirgneamh cearnógach corparáideach a bheadh ann ná ní bheadh ann ach carn suarach coincréite. Is é a bheadh i scoil chruthaitheach ná meascán d’fhoirgnimh nach ionann a gcruth: tithe brící dearga, teachíní ar dhath uachtair reoite, seanchaisleáin agus déanmhais ghloine nua-aoiseacha, agus iad go léir i gceangal lena chéile ina mol bríomhar. Bheadh na ballaí clúdaithe le múrphictiúir agus le graifítí teasaí, agus bheadh bratacha agus siombailí de gach cineál ar crochadh orthu. Bheadh steallóga péinte ann, mar aon le hamharclann intí (ealaín do chách, ní amháin dóibh siúd ar féidir leo íoc as), agus í trealmhaithe le riachtanais stáitse, ionad scríbhneoireachta, leabharlann agus cistin ghairmiúil iomlán.
Ní bheadh aon chód gléasta ná éidí ann i scoil chruthaitheach; is féidir leat do chuid pitseámaí a chaitheamh más mian leat. Bheadh scoil chruthaitheach ina heagraíocht dhaonlathach agus bheadh guth an mhic léinn ina chuid den chinnteoireacht inti.
Sarah Carr (16) is a student at Coláiste Cois Life, Lucan, Co Dublin