Through being with the opposite sex from junior infants, our children gain a confidence and ease in being together. They grow to understand each other. This increases social skills and communication between the sexes.

• The pupils learn together from a young age. Each sex sees that there is a wide range of ability within the class and that this has nothing to do with gender.

• Teachers in our school strive to value the ability of boys and girls equally – each child is encouraged to reach his/her maximum potential in all subject areas.

• Our teachers try to make sure that both genders get an equal share in decision-making within their class.

• In the classroom, children take turns doing chores and they all participate in the division of labour. No distinctions are made between sexes in this respect.

Our school follows a sports curriculum and also offers extra-curricular sporting activities. Participation in all types of sport is open to both sexes; for instance, girls are represented in soccer and chess is a popular extra-curricular activity for both sexes.

We are represented in Santry Stadiumeach year by the best of our athletes who train together outside school hours. Medals have been won by both genders.

There is a strong artistic tradition in our school, and our arts programme encourages both genders equally, all the activities being enjoyed by boys and girls alike. For instance, Poetry Week has all children writing poems.

Girls and boys play together and become familiar with each other’s different ways of playing. Also on toy day (Friday), the children can see that there are individual differences in what the other sex likes to play with – for example, not all girls like dolls and not all boys like action toys. This leads to less gender stereotyping and more tolerance and acceptance of diversity.

The student council strives to give an equal voice to boys and girls in representing their classes and the issues that affect them.

Children are encouraged to be proud of their own gender as well as to respect the opposite gender. In this regard, name-calling, which undermines a child’s gender identity and self-esteem (e.g., calling a boy a “girl” if he cries) is not acceptable and is challenged.

The lack of school uniform means that girls and boys are free to develop and experiment with their own identity through the clothes they wear.