AN Erskine school has been hailed as top of the class in Renfrewshire for promoting fair trade.

Bargarran Primary received the John McDowell Award at Renfrewshire’s Fairtrade School Awards ceremony, which recognises work carried out by local pupils to highlight the campaign for producers in some of the world’s poorest countries to get a fair price for their goods.

The school has been praised for establishing a Fairtrade Parliament, consisting of 25 pupils from primary two to seven, which has outlined Bargarran Primary’s own Fairtrade policy.

Children have also staged tuck-shops and coffee mornings to promote the Fairtrade movement, as well as taking part in school assemblies to talk about the issue.

Liz Mackenzie, depute headteacher at Bargarran Primary, said the school is delighted to receive this year’s John McDowell Award – named after a former councillor who was the first Renfrewshire Provost to be involved with the Fairtrade movement.

“Having successfully renewed our FairAchiever Status in May 2019, the pupils from this year’s Fairtrade Parliament are continuing to promote fair trade by raising awareness within the school and local community,” she added.

Mary Russell School, in Paisley, was given the Renfrewshire Secondary Schools Award for its dedication to fair trade, with both prizes presented by Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson.

“It’s fantastic to see our pupils learning about the importance of fair trade and both schools have done so much to deserve their awards,” said Cllr Nicolson.

“Their work within their schools ensures our younger generation recognise the difference that can be made by supporting fair trade and they’ve raised awareness in the local community too by hosting regular events.”

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