It was a proud moment for Gartan National School today as they raised their fifth green flag in conjunction with an active flag.
Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher hoisted the two flags at the school on Friday morning.
The Donegal TD said both initiatives play an essential part in creating awareness about protecting the environment and the importance of physical education and fitness towards our overall wellbeing.
Pat the Cope said: “The green flag schools initiative creates awareness in our primary and secondary schools about the single biggest challenge facing each and every one of us; is how we manage the environment, how we deal with waste and plastics that we create and how we minimalize damage we do to our shared environment with that waste.
“Unlike in the past, we now have record population levels on our planet, record levels of waste and no effective ways of dealing with the ever-growing mountains of waste.
“We see this daily with the amounts of waste and plastics in our seas, oceans, countryside, it is alarming,” stated Pat the Cope.
“Unfortunately, it is all due to human recklessness and poor understanding of how to manage our countryside and environment.
“The green flag initiative is an important first step in instilling how to manage waste and to better care for our environment.
Speaking after launching Gartan NS their active flag award, Pat the Cope said: “For the overall wellbeing of the student and for the physical and mental health of the individual, it is essential that we have the correct amount of physical education and exercise.
“That is the reason why initiatives such as the active school flag are critical programmes nowadays to have incorporated in our schools.
“I wish to commend and congratulate Gartan National School for undertaking both initiatives and for promoting these programmes within their school.
“I fully appreciate that these measures take quite an amount of time, both school staff and management have been great advocates for these two initiatives,” concluded Pat the Cope.
