Seán Haughey TD, Minister for Lifelong Learning today visited the Summer Camp in Scoil Ui Chonaill, North Richmond St, Dublin.

Summer camps have been organised and funded by the Department of Education and Skills to address literacy difficulties through the medium of the arts.

The project, Exploring Pathways to Literacy through Arts Activities emphasises fun learning through activities such as art, drama, music and dance, but accommodates learning goals associated with reading, literacy and thinking skills.

Explaining the project Minister Haughey said, ‘The summer camps are targeted at children at risk from social or academic difficulties.’

‘Qualified primary teachers provided the children with exciting opportunities to develop self-esteem, motivation, imagination, concentration and discipline.’

‘These are all key aspects of pupils’ attitudes to learning.’

‘The most important part of the project is that the emphasis throughout has been on fun learning.’

From the beginning of the summer holidays, groups of 7 – 11 year old children, in 40 different locations have been participating in the Summer Camps.
Since the scheme began, 9612 children have benefited from the summer camps.

The projects are funded by the Department of Education and Skills at a cost of €233,000 this year and involve 36 children in each location.

Minister Haughey wishes to experience at first hand the activities and to encourage the children to participate and enjoy the camps.

Commenting on the outstanding success of the project, Minister Haughey said, ‘I wish the children who are participating in the camps much excitement, fun and interest as they continue to pursue their enjoyment of reading and the arts.’

‘Despite the successful developments and huge progress made in literacy programmes of recent years and the resources which have been put into this area, Ireland still has literacy problems among all age groups.’

‘This important project recognises that there are multiple ways of learning and that different children learn in different ways and through different pathways.’

‘The child who may have considerable difficulty in learning to read through conventional methods, may experience a breakthrough when reading is approached through drama, movement or dance, or through art or music.’

Minister Haughey went on to say that there is increasing evidence in the international literature that involvement with the arts provides unparalleled opportunities for learning, enabling young people to reach for and attain higher levels of achievement.

‘One of the critical research findings is that the learning in and through the arts can help to ‘level the playing field’ for young pupils from disadvantaged areas.’

‘The Exploring Pathways to Literacy project is a very important event and from the encouraging results to date I intend that such initiatives will continue to receive my full support,’ concluded Minister Haughey.