A total of £7,000 was provided from the Housing Executive’s Community Safety fund for new textbooks, E-books, worksheets and student surveys.
Developed by the Children’s Safety Education Foundation, the Respect Programme teaches teenagers about the consequences of anti-social behaviour and crime, including hate crime, on communities and themselves.
Issues of health and wellbeing and the safety of young people are also tackled.
Michael Fitzgerald, from the Foundation, who works with schools to deliver the programme, said; “We are encouraging young people to challenge stereotypes, think about citizenship issues and also consider opposing viewpoints.
“This helps them deal with problems they encounter in everyday life such as peer pressure, bullying and personal safety, life skills that can be difficult to convey through normal teaching channels.”
The Housing Executive has supported the delivery of the Respect Programme in numerous schools across Northern Ireland in recent years, with thousands of students taking part.
Laura McConville, Community Safety Manager, said: “We want to empower young people to make positive choices and play an active role in their community.
“It is the seventh year we’ve funded this community safety programme, which uses real life situations to demonstrate how everyone in our society deserves to be, and should be, respected.
“This year, Malone Integrated College, Breda Academy, Boys Model and Girls Model schools are helping their pupils get to grips with anti-social behaviour issues in a constructive way.”
Staff at the four participating schools said their pupils responded positively to the programme.
Naomi McMarrow, Curriculum Leader of LLW in Belfast Boys Model School, said: “Both staff and pupils have enjoyed using these booklets to support key topics in the curriculum.
“They are an insightful, eye-catching and pupil friendly resource that pupils have found easy to access in class when carrying out further independent research.”
Miss L Lavery, Teacher of LLW at Belfast Model School for Girls, described the project as a breath of fresh air in its content, simplicity and presentation.
She said: “It targets issues directly related to young people and is presented in a way that engages and informs.”
James Clarke, LLW Coordinator at Malone College, added: “It is a bright, colourful resource that encourages discussions and debate within the classroom and focuses on issues relevant to all of our young people.”
