The sea has so much to offer children in Wales. It would be a crime not to make it a part of their education", said John Griffiths AM, at the official launch of Britain's first Ysgol y Môr (School of the Sea), at the Plas Menai National Watersports Centre, near Caernarfon.

The Welsh Assembly Government Deputy Minister in charge of Skills Outdoor is shown with 11-year-olds from Ysgol Thomas Jones, Amlwch, Anglesey - part of a group of 30 who are among the first to take part in Ysgol y Môr's watersports skills training, which will make local sea and coastal resources an essential part of the education and training of North Wales youngsters aged 8 to 14.

The multi-school programme is the first in the UK to use the marine environment to teach subjects including history, geography, biology, art and maths, as well as watersports skills training.

The Ysgol y Môr initiative is modelled on a 20+ year educational programme in Brittany, which has been the driving force behind the growth of the region's highly successful marine industry. It has created major economic development and sustainable jobs, which have helped safeguard the Breton language and culture.

Ysgol y Môr is being piloted in the counties of Gwynedd and Ynys Môn. In the first phase, spanning three years, 1440 pupils from 16 schools are learning watersports skills. 1170 pupils are being taught a range of existing curriculum subjects in classes de mer ('classrooms of the sea'), across both counties.

John Griffiths AM added: "Our aim is to add to the distinctiveness of the curriculum in Wales, developing a 'Curriculum Cymraeg' which focuses on skills and employability, while embracing our culture, language and history. Our seas and coastline are some of our greatest assets and I believe this type of outdoor learning could make a significant contribution to education in Wales."

Co-ordinator Stuart Gibson said: "Ysgol y Môr has already sparked tremendous enthusiasm from the teachers and children of North Wales. Teachers get a great way to enhance the delivery of their subjects; pupils have their subjects brought to life through real experiences, while in the long term the full potential of the region's marine industry stands to be recognised. It's a win win situation".

The launch of Ysgol y Môr follows more than two years of development by North Wales Watersports and its partners. This included a fact finding mission for North Wales educationalists and local authority representatives in 2007 to Brittany, which has 20 dedicated 'classrooms of the sea' centres that have trained thousands of pupils.

The first phase of Ysgol y Môr will include training 18 North Wales teachers to be 'champions of watersports', and an end-of-year inter-schools competition, which challenges pupils to design and build a marine craft powered by solar, wind or carbon fuel.

The second and third stages are expected to develop greater involvement with colleges and local employers, as well as schools, and extend to neighbouring counties.

The Ysgol y Môr programme is also designed as a template for a new national approach to education, based on involving pupils more closely with their local environments, including mountains, forests and urban areas.

Ysgol y Môr is part of the Môr a Mynydd (Sea and Mountains) initiative, which is being managed by North Wales Watersports. It has won financial support from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the Welsh Assembly Government, Ynys Môn CC and Gwynedd CC.

Source: yachtsandyachting.com