Exchange Programs

Introduction

Ashton School has been involved in school exchange programmes for many years.

There are many reasons for this:

• The school has always had a cosmopolitan atmosphere with students from many countries attending the school.

• Ireland’s membership of the European Union has alerted students to the reality of a bigger world outside of Ireland and realistic preparation for life involves preparation for life outside Ireland.

• The recent emphasis on oral and aural examinations as part of Leaving Certificate Examinations in modern languages has increased the importance of real-life experiences of these languages in a natural setting.

• Personal student experiences of exchange programmes have underlined the positive benefits of travelling to and meeting with students from other countries.

French Exchange

Cork City has been formally twinned with the Ville de Rennes for many years and school exchange programmes are obvious ways of strengthening this exchange link. In 2004 a new exchange programme was started with Lycée Jean d’Arc Saint-Ivy in Pontivy, Brittany. Prior to this from 1990 to 2002 there had been an exchange programme with Lycée Anne de Bretagne in Rennes which ended when Lycée Anne de Bretagne was closed due to falling numbers in the centre of Rennes.

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Cork – Pontivy 2006

German Exchange

Ashton has had an exchange programme with Lessing Gymnasium in Köln (Cologne), Germany since 1998. Students from Ashton, usually either second or third years, travel to Cologne, stay in the homes of the Germany students and attend classes in Lessing Gymnasium. The return visit sees students from Cologne coming to Cork, staying with Irish families and attending classes at Ashton. A new initiative has been Transition Year students doing work experience in Cologne, again staying with German families. At a later date the German students return to Cork, live with the Irish families and do work experience in Cork.

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