Northern Ireland Day Three: Stormont

Tuesday was the first of our internship/business casual days. We took a bus from our hotel to Stormont, which is the building that houses the Northern Irish government. It is a beautiful building that looks like it is old, but it was built in the 1920s. It reminds of me of Versailles in that the building is supposed to intimidate people going up to it. The drive leading up to Stormont is about one mile long up a hill. It is quite impressive.

We had the chance to speak with one of the politicians and one of the clerks about education. Then we got to sit in on a hearing to discuss a new bill on special educations. Right before lunch, we had a quick talk about the building itself. The talk was strictly about the history and architecture of the building, nothing about politics. 

After lunch we went out the front doors to take some photos.

Me and my friend Siena!

The second thing on our agenda was visiting CCEA or the Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment. But before that, Siena and I stopped at a coffee shop for a latte and pastry. 

The rest of the day was focused on our project. We went to CCEA and then headed back to Queen's University to speak with some education majors about their experiences in the education system. It was eye opening to learn what they think of academic selection, teaching about the Troubles, and their opinions on the Nerve Centre. 

The next morning we had to get up SUPER early to catch our train to Derry-Londonderry, so it was an early night for us!

Thanks,

Kara