A Tipperary ETB school is offering alternative teaching models to help boys across the South East.
Coláiste Shliabh na mBan is located just outside Clonmel and caters for male students with Educational Needs that may not have been met in mainstream classes.
Last week a group of young men were brought out with the Clonmel and District Anglers to learn how to fly fish and meet just one of the groups open to them in their community.
George Ellis is a woodwork teacher at the school and says that they focus on individualised learning plans for their students, as well as offering smaller class sizes.
He told Tipp FM that they use a more holistic approach to education.
“We take kids anywhere from 12 to 16 or 17 at the moment. We do the Junior Cert and we do the LCA programmes. It’s not just about the curriculum as well, its much broader than that in the school. We’re trying to teach them life skills, socialisation skills. Again we’re trying to make it a positive place for people to learn.”
Students Jack and Ricci took part in the fishing trip and told Tipp FM what stood out to them.
“It’s way different definitely because we learned river safety and how you should be properly prepared. All the different types of equipment – like we learned about nets and how you weigh in everything.”
“It was good like to get to know how to fish, starting with how to throw it and things like that.”
