Feeling the heat down Basin Lane

It has been a busy week at the Mater Dei National School in Dublin's Basin Lane. Students have spent the week measuring temperatures throughout the school, identifying hot and cold places and - in junior infants at least -dressing teddy in warm clothing.

"Teddy has a cold," the 24 children in teacher Sinead Harmey's class, chorus. "He has a hat, gloves, jacket and scarf and we've put him by the radiator to keep him warm." The children point to a table which has a "hot" side, complete with teapot saucepan and iron, and a "cold" side, displaying a carton of milk and a fan, for example. A clothes line is also divided in two. The hot half displays gloves, a vest and pictures of a radiator and a cup of tea. Mater Dei is one of 500 schools selected to participate in a new pilot initiative - Primary Science Day - which, this year, is being included as part of Science Week. The schools have all been supplied with resource packs, the theme of which is temperature. Included are worksheets for all class levels and a variety of thermometers.

It's clear that everyone at Mater Dei is enjoying Science Week. "It's very good for junior infants," comments Sinead Harmey. "It's very practical and hands on. They love getting up and doing things." Over in first class, students are poring over their worksheets. "We've been taking temperatures and doing simple experiments all week," explains teacher Shauna Doherty. What do the kids think of science? "Interesting. Great. Excellent," they reply. "You can learn new things .

You can use the thermometer and measure how hot and cold it is. You learn how things work." Is science their favourite subject? "Yes," they bellow. Shauna Doherty is equally enthusiastic. "The children are getting first-hand experience; can develop their own ideas and use different skills," she says. The 20 girls in fourth class have also had a busy week. "We've taken temperatures around the room and outside, notes their teacher, Sinead Sherry. "Today we're looking at insulation and conductors. We've been putting butter on top of plastic and wood to see which melts first. During the week we've been looking at the weather pages in the newspapers for temperatures around the world."

The class is arranged in groups. Vanessa, Lorna, Sophie, Aisling and Aislinn are busy inspecting pieces of fabric to see which would best keep the heat in a jar of hot water. They're finding science interesting, they say, - more interesting than other subjects. "Doing experiments helps you learn things," the girls believe. Science Week, Sinead Sherry says, has been "brilliant. There's a real buzz of science around the school. It's got everybody talking about science." There's excitement, too, about the inclusion of science in the new primary school curriculum. "We've just received a cheque for £700 to buy new equipment," says school principal Sr Rita Wynne. "We have a lot of science going on anyway, but the new equipment will make all the difference. Investigation and experience is very important for children."

Mater Dei, which boasts an enrolment of 290, is run by the Daughters of Charity. It is surrounded by corporation flat complexes where most of the children live. "We're an inner-city school servicing the local population," Wynne, whose father grew up in the Liberties, comments. A few of the children live in houses. Does that make any difference? "I think it does," she replies. "They have more space to do their homework and to play."

Parental involvement in the school is growing, thanks largely to the work of the home-school liaison scheme, Wynne notes. One group is doing a parents' course; another group is studying for Junior Cert. Parents enjoy the use of a school computer. One parent, a Nigerian, is teaching the children batik and tie-dying. A number of Mater Dei pupils are non-nationals - Nigerian and Somalian. "We find them an enrichment," the principal says. "The teachers love them because they are bright and keen to learn. They bring another dimension to school life. The kids go mad to have a child from another country in their class." The local children, too, are "spontaneous, open and friendly. They're very artistic - they love speech and drama." Their behaviour, she notes, is impeccable - even on school trips.

"It's very challenging work, but you learn a lot from the kids. They're very good at sharing, and the staff are absolutely superb. They'd do anything to help and support the children or myself." One of the difficulties of running a school in an inner-city area, is fundraising - the parents lack the wherewithall to supply the school with much needed extra cash. "We're designated disadvantaged, which means we only have to make up a 5 per cent shortfall on grants from the Department, but there's still a significant amount to be raised."

TAKE the early focus room, which has been set up to help children with emotional, social or other learning difficulties. "They get the chance to have almost one-to-one attention. They learn to make simple snacks, to set the table. They get to choose an activity. We use a lot of language, role play, games and story time. It gives children a chance to express themselves in a very small group. It builds their self-esteem and confidence. They return to the class in a better position to learn. They love being there." The unit is funded by the Drugs Task Force, but operates only two days per week. "We'd love to get funding to keep it open for five days," Wynne comments.

For the near future, Mater Dei plans to launch a homework club and to create a Millennium Rainbow garden, which will provide a green oasis in the heart of the inner city. The name of every child, who is a pupil at the school during millennium year, will be engraved in the paving stones, Sr Rita Wynne promises.