Pupils band together in bid to beat bigotry
JONATHAN GEDDES
Pupils from two Cambuslang schools have joined up with a charity and group of college students to take a stand against bigotry.
Primary six children from Cairns and St Cadoc’s primaries took part in a special afternoon event with anti-sectarian charity Nil by Mouth which focused on how stereotypes are created and can be successfully challenged.
The charity had teamed up with four advertising students from the City of Glasgow College, who devised the meeting to help children use their photographic skills to create images celebrating community.
As part of the event, the students held mini-workshops for pupils, showing them how to create positive messages that promote friendship between the two schools.
It represents the latest project between the neighbouring schools to help pupils think about prejudice and discrimination.
Over the past decade both primaries have worked on a number of musical, sporting and cultural activities including trips to Hampden Park, recording a CD and forming a community choir to perform at venues across South Lanarkshire.
Nil by Mouth Director Dave Scott said: “Work challenging stereotypes and promoting community at Cairns and St Cadoc’s has been going on for more than a decade and is viewed across the country as best practice in schools.
“It’s always a pleasure to visit them both as staff and pupils have strong and positive relationships and see different faiths and cultures being discussed and celebrated rather than used as a way of putting up barriers between children.
“These are two schools where bigotry really is left at the door. “
City of Glasgow College student Susan Kelly added: “We came up with this idea as part of a marketing competition last year and are delighted that the schools and Nil by Mouth see the potential in our message.
“It was great to hear the pupils discuss and dissect stereotypes in the workshops and then see all the wonderful images they created together.”