A SIXTH form student at Shimna Integrated College has been awarded first prize in the prestigious Integrated Education Fund (IEF) Essay Writing Competition.
The topic of the essay related to the government’s legal requirement ‘to encourage and facilitate integrated education since 1989’ and asks to what extent this requirement has been fulfilled.
Writer Jan Carson and Fighting Words NI Director Hilary Copeland generously gave of their time to judge the competition.
Ellen Watson’s outstanding essay was selected from a competitive field of entries from across Northern Ireland.
The panel of judges praised Ellen’s work as ‘a very comprehensive, well-researched essay that answers the question and is also really well-written on a sentence-by-sentence basis’.
They stated that Ellen’s essay included ‘a fulsome summary of the legal changes’ and contained ‘good knowledge of other factors not directly related to legislation’ but which were relevant.
Her essay, they added, was also enhanced by ‘good personal/anecdotal observation’.
Ellen will be formally presented with her prize at the annual Carson Awards.
Shimna Integrated College has praised her “incredible achievement”.
The Newcastle school said it “showcases Ellen’s exceptional writing skills, critical thinking, and her ability to thoughtfully engage with complex topics related to the theme of the competition”.
The school added: “Shimna Integrated College is immensely proud of Ellen and looks forward to seeing her continued success.
“This award highlights the values of integrated education, promoting dialogue, understanding, and thoughtful reflection – values that are deeply rooted in the ethos of our college.”