Paul Johnston, Eco-Schools Project Officer, and Donal Gormley, Airtricity Development Manager, welcome Mrs Gilmour and pupils at Queen Elizabeth II Primary School in Omagh to the Eco-Schools Programme
Eco-Schools has celebrated the registration of its 900th school in Northern Ireland. The programme, which is run by Tidy NI and sponsored by Airtricity, reached the milestone when the Queen Elizabeth II Primary School in Omagh registered earlier this month. The sustainable schools programme encourages pupils and teachers to address a variety of environmental topics, ranging from energy to bio-diversity, with schools being awarded the prestigious ‘Green Flag’ for excellence in achieving their environmental goals.
Since launching into the classroom in 1994, the Eco-Schools programme has developed into one of the most popular school activities for teachers and pupils alike, with almost 75% of Northern Ireland’s schools currently registered to participate. It’s estimated that over 240,000 pupils and 14,500 teachers participate in the programme on an annual basis.
Since awarding the world’s very first ‘Green Flag’ to Downpatrick Nursery in 1994, the Eco-Schools Programme has gone on to award 272 Green Flags, with 162 current Green Flag schools across Northern Ireland.
