Minister all ears as pupils show off German skills

CHILDREN at a Cork school are starting their lives as European citizens early, thanks to a project to teach them German in primary school.

The initiative in about 500 schools is aimed primarily at fifth and sixth class pupils, but all 70 children at Vicarstown National School had a little bit of Deutsche to show off when Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe paid a special visit yesterday morning.

Since last September, visiting teacher Sheena Mulcahy has helped engender a love of the language among the boys and girls in the rural school, a few kilometres from Blarney.