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William Wallace competition winners
23/08/2005
As Scotland remembers the anniversary of the death of William Wallace, 700 years ago today, school children are using the legacy of Wallace to send out a strong anti-bullying message.
A team of six pupils from Kirklandpark Primary School, Strathaven, has won the Executive's Wallace competition, launched in May.
The winning entry, Battle of the Bullies, tells the story of a Wallace statue in the playground of the school which comes to life to help conquer bullying in the 21st century.
Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson, said:
"The life and legacy of William Wallace is something which has survived the centuries, making him an icon of strength and courage.
"The entries we received to the Wallace competition were all of a high standard, and gave young people the chance to show how Wallace remains relevant to life today. I looked at these entries and found inspiration in the children's use of Wallace's qualities to counter issues they face in their everyday lives.
"Bullying is clearly an issue that concerns young people today. What the children of Kirklandpark primary school have shown that in order to deal better with the problems of our present, it is vital to understand our past."
"I am also pleased to see that the number of people using the Wallace - Man and Myth website has doubled since it was set up - suggesting that as well as those who took part in the competition, many more young people are using the site to learn more about this important part of Scottish History."
Runners up included a second team from Kirklandpark Primary School for Healthy Eating with Wallace and Bonnyrigg Primary School, whose entry Wallace the Hero also tackles bullying.
Kirklandpark head teacher Elaine Kirkwood, said:
"Everyone in the school was delighted to hear of our two teams' success. The competition really fired their imaginations and was an appropriate homage to one of our most famous historical figures.
"While working together the children also discussed the issue of bullying and hoped that their ideas would help others to tackle bullying."
Nick Morgan from Learning Teaching Scotland, one of the competition judges, said:
"The quality of the entries showed how much the competition succeeded in sparking the children's imagination. Their enjoyment shone through in the presentations they created."
Prizes include a digital camera, an invitation (accompanied by an adult) to the Wallace 700 Gala Dinner at Stirling Castle tonight and Historic Scotland Family Membership, free Admission to Historic Scotland's Wallace Extravaganza at Stirling Castle on September 10 and 11.
A visit to the Wallace monument in Stirling will be awared to the two runner up teams.