Primary school children are being encouraged to learn about inclusivity and diversity through the medium of art, following the launch of the 9th annual Someone Like Me art competition by Minister of State with responsibility for disability, Anne Rabbitte T.D.
Pupils and their teachers across the country will be provided with specially written cross-curricular learning and teaching materials to help them develop an awareness and understanding of visible and non-visible disabilities, drawing on their own personal experiences of disability in a bid to help create a more inclusive society.
These materials are also available to download on the Someone Like Me website, www.someonelikemecompeition.ie.
Minister Rabbitte encouraged primary school principals, teachers and pupils alike to take part in this year’s competition as a way of ensuring acceptance and inclusion of disabled children from an early age.
Referring to preliminary data for the 2023-2024 school year, showing that there are more than 14,500 students in autism classes in mainstream primary and post-primary schools – approximately 1.5% of the overall primary and post-primary pupil population – the Minister stated: “One of the four pillars of the Autism Innovation Strategy is to develop an autism affirming society so building acceptance and understanding is crucial to achieve this. The Someone Like Me art competition is an important way of building this acceptance and understanding of all disabilities, including autism, among the primary school community.
Organised and funded by the National Disability Authority, the Someone Like Me art competition is now firmly established in the primary school calendar as an annual celebration of the things that unite children of all abilities, and as a way of developing more positive attitudes towards persons with disabilities.
The competition, which offers a range of prizes up to the value of €1,250, is open to all primary school pupils from junior infants to sixth class and entries are welcome from individual pupils, a class or even a whole school as a combined effort. Entries can come in all shapes and sizes and can be anything from a poster or collage to a papier-mâché or mixed media sculpture.
There will be a junior and senior category winner in every county, along with an overall national winner. To be in with a chance to win Creative Care Packages, schools should submit their early entries by October 25th. The final deadline for entries is November 15th
More information can be found at www.someonelikemecompetition.ie
