The future is not just bright for Knockloughrim Primary School it is a bright shade of Eco Friendly green! Environmentally friendly kids from Knockloughrim Primary School shot to the top of the award stakes by securing their second coveted Eco-Schools Green Flag award this week and by becoming runner up finalists in the province wide SSE Airticity Eco Schools Global Wind Awards . The pupils have been working hard to transform their school's daily routine into one that benefits the environment and saves the school money. Simple changes, like ensuring all unnecessary lights are switched off and that paper, cans and other materials are recycled have already cut bills as well as making Knockloughrim Primary School one of the most sustainable schools in the country.
Managed in Northern Ireland by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, Eco-Schools asks children to set up a committee involving pupils from all year groups. They then set to work on a school audit that highlights areas of the school that could be made more environmentally friendly and the Global Win Awards recognised their hard work and efforts in cutting energy consumption. School Principal Mr. Keith Wysner said, "Obtaining our second Green Flag award is something that the whole school and our surrounding community can be proud of. Each pupil will be able to take away some degree of satisfaction in the knowledge that their actions have significantly altered their local environment. It has been a fantastic initiative for us all to be involved in, however it is by no means over, as the greater challenge is to maintain what we have achieved so far and look towards ways of improving even further."
Research has found that schools in the UK spend just over 2 MILLION POUNDS a year on electricity. Energy-saving light bulbs last up to ten times longer than ordinary ones and save between £5 and £10 per bulb, per year. Considering the amount of light bulbs required for each school - this change could prove to be a massive saving. Mrs Heather Clarke, Eco Schools leader in Knockloughrim PS commented, "The benefits of working towards an award such as the Green Flag extend beyond the improvement of the environmental quality of the school. The programme gives our Pupil School Council and all our learning community a fantastic sense of responsibility and pride in what they have achieved. With this second award comes the hope that our pupils will continue this behaviour in their homes and into the wider community for all to benefit from."
