Pupils from two Dumbarton schools are tackling discrimination and sectarianism in partnership with an equalities charity.

Last month, Knoxland Primary's P6 students visited St Patrick’s Primary as part of the 'United Against Division' programme hosted by Nil by Mouth.

As part of their sessions, children worked in groups exploring sectarianism and its potential relevance to their own lives.

They learned about the history of Nil by Mouth, established after the sectarian murder of teenager Mark Scott in 1995, discussing the sectarian implications of Mark's murder and how the colour of his football scarf led to his attack.

Stereotypes related to faith in Scotland were also addressed.

Jamie Lithgow, Nil By Mouth education officer, said: "It has been a pleasure to visit Knoxland and St Patrick’s over the past two weeks to work with such a funny, clever and thoughtful group of children.

"They have set a fantastic example for other schools and I hope their partnership can continue moving forward.

"Both sets of pupils now have a deeper understanding of discrimination, sectarianism and their online habits.

"We are not naive enough to think that just because these school pupils do not meet the minimum age requirement to have a social media account they are not already using these platforms. We just want them to feel safe and understand the potential consequences of their actions.

"It's important children feel they can talk to adults about what is happening online as so much of our lives now occurs there. At the end of the day, whether it's social media or football, these things are meant to be fun and we just want to keep it that way.”

Last week, St Patrick’s students visited Knoxland for a 'Pause B4 U Post' workshop where the children were guided through the pitfalls and aftermath of negative language and behaviour on social media and mobile devices through case studies and discussions about their internet behaviour.

They also explored the positive influences of appropriate social media usage.