NURSERY pupils at St Paul’s Primary School in west Belfast have been getting hands-on with Chinese language and culture, joined by friends from Fane Street Primary School, as schools across Northern Ireland mark the start of the Year of the Horse today (Tuesday, 17 February).
Children explored Chinese culture through a variety of workshops and activities, including ribbon dancing, interactive Chinese storytelling sessions and painting traditional Peking opera masks. They also enjoyed performances from visiting artists, bringing the sights, sounds, and stories of Chinese New Year to life.
St Paul’s is a Confucius classroom partner with a long-standing focus on Mandarin education. Pupils from P1 to P7 receive weekly beginner lessons, and the school regularly hosts international days where families watch performances, songs, and artwork created by the children. The school is widely recognised for its commitment to Chinese language and culture.
As part of the celebrations, the British Council launched its Year of the Horse Education Pack. The pack, aimed at pupils aged seven to 11, provides teachers with classroom activities and lesson ideas to explore the festival and Chinese culture. Activities include tangram puzzles, creative crafts such as scroll paintings and paper hobby horses, and opportunities to learn about Chinese language and the symbolism of horses in art.
Speaking at the event, Colm McGivern, Director, British Council Northern Ireland, said: “The Chinese New Year is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate culture and creativity. The children at St Paul’s have shown tremendous enthusiasm for Mandarin and Chinese traditions, and the British Council’s new education pack gives schools across Northern Ireland ways to bring these experiences into the classroom. Activities like these help children connect with other cultures, spark curiosity, and make learning about language and traditions exciting and meaningful.”
The Confucius Institute at Ulster University, which organised the event, runs its Year of the Horse Roadshow each Chinese New Year, visiting schools across Northern Ireland with workshops, performances and cultural activities.
The British Council’s Year of the Horse Education Pack can be downloaded free here: https://www.britishcouncil.org/school-resources/find/classroom/year-of-the-horse