Picking Turkeys?

January 16, 2009

            I found this week’s episode to be very informative because it talked about many different issues. Although it was much more convenient to listen to the parts that were in English, I found myself reading the captions even when they were speaking in English to see if I could find any connections between the words in these two languages.

            I found it very interesting that the schools in Ireland had vandalism problems, as well as them having underage drinking evidence on the property. However, the most interesting part of this story was that they were very strong in both athletics and academics. I would not have expected to see a school with those problems also have such a great program for their students. The parents’ involvement in wanting to see a better school made for their children was also very encouraging. On the other hand, I was very disappointed in the government of Ireland for not helping them and instead cutting back in their help. One point that one person in this portion of the video made was very interesting. He said “that the ‘Celtic tiger’ came and went and never found primary school children.” I think that he made a very sad, but good point about the “Celtic tiger.” Another awesome thing that a school in Ireland was able to accomplish was the heart safe award. This award shows that all of the faculty and at least fifty-percent of the students are trained in CPR and AED in order to save lives. I think this is an important skill for students to learn.

            Another story I found to be very interesting was about the priest shortage. Although we talked about it this past class, I think it shows that it is a very critical issue because it appears more than just once in the news. I also think that the way they are handling this issue was a good idea. Bringing different people together and encouraging them to be an active member of community is crucial. This way, children see their parents and others around them not only working together, but they also see them taking on their faith as their own and truly making their faith their own and not only about the culture. As a consequence, the children will learn how to make the Catholic Church their own as well.

            Ireland has also experience a new trend of people migrating for one reason or another. In many ways the west has been benefited by these immigrants. One interesting thing that happened due to migration was the first cranberry farm was made. By learning new things, like that cranberry farms in Ireland are possible, means that a whole new industry can be born and maintained in Ireland instead of having to survive off of importing them. Also, entrepreneurs have increased in Ireland. Although one lady said that her business was better in London, many people found that starting an entrepreneurial business in Ireland benefited them, as well as where they started their new business.

            Hopefully the leaders that are being trained in the schools and gaining experience by watching their parents’ entrepreneurial businesses, hopefully, they will be able to learn from the experiences and understand the importance for them to keep the faith and help their children to get an education.