Local teachers visit new PRONI offices

Local teachers Sharon Cassidy (Belmont House School), Brian Dunwoody (Limavady Grammar School), Dr Henry Jefferies (Thornhill College) and Helen McGee (St Mary’s Limavady) attended the latest event in a series of teacher insight visits to prominent Northern Ireland (NI) organisations.

The visit was coordinated by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), as part of its Learning for Life and Work programme, which focuses on preparing pupils for the world of work and adult life.

The insights gained allow teachers to pass on their new-found knowledge of well-known local organisations to their pupils.

At PRONI teachers learnt about record management and the importance of cataloguing and properly preserving documents, many of which are hundreds of years old.

Vivienne Bannon, Learning for Life and Work, CCEA, commented: “CCEA is dedicated to supporting teachers in educating their pupils about the world of work and the wealth of job opportunities open to them in NI.

“The visit to PRONI was fascinating and the teachers have come away with a greater knowledge and understanding of the work that goes into preserving and protecting historical and current information such as church registers and school records.”

Stephen Scarth, Head of Public Services at PRONI, commented: “It was a pleasure showing teachers around our new premises in the Titanic Quarter and providing them with a behind-the-scenes tour.

“We hope their experiences will enlighten their pupils to the vast material we house here, both private and public records, covering a period from around 1600 to the present day.”