Meet Dublin’s youngest teachers

SIX babies have been honoured at a special Barnardos celebration in St Joseph’s Girls National School in Finglas for being Dublin’s youngest teachers!

Over the past nine months the babies and their mums have been visiting local primary schools in Dublin 11 as part of a Barnardos programme to teach pupils important lessons about expressing feelings, respect, inclusion, infant development and safety, as well as the power of a loving bond between parent and child.

The programme delivered by Barnardos is called Roots of Empathy. It’s an internationally proven classroom programme that reduces levels of aggression among schoolchildren while raising their social and emotional competence and increasing their empathy.

At its heart are a local baby and parent, who visit the classroom with a trained instructor nine times over the school year.

The instructor coaches the children to observe the baby’s development, celebrate milestones, interact with the baby and learn about its needs and unique temperament.

The instructor also visits the class before and after the baby’s visit to prepare and reinforce teachings, using a specialised curriculum.

Roots of Empathy is delivered by Barnardos in partnership with other local services and agencies in Ireland and currently has 12 schools in Dublin participating in a pilot scheme, six of which are in the Finglas area.

The schools are: Mother of Divine Grace; St Brigid’s Infant National School; St Canice’s Girls National School; St Kevin’s Boys National School; St Oliver Plunkett’s; and St Joseph’s Girls National School.

The delivery of the programme is supported by a range of local agencies including Finglas East BEO School Completion Programme, St Helena’s Resource Centre and the HSE and School Completion Programme Finglas.

Many of the instructors trained by Barnardos are staff from the supporting agencies.

Those interested in finding out more about the programme, becoming an Instructor or having their baby

‘teach’ can contact Barnardos on 01-4530355.