A chara, – Fintan O'Toole's "Sleepwalking into school segregation" (Opinion & Analysis, March 10th) should serve, however belatedly, to alert the education establishment to a real crisis in the making and signposted by schools many years ago. Dr Deirdre Kirwan's contribution (March 16th) outlined clearly what has been achieved in language awareness by teachers in dealing with the changed cultural landscape in education.
Some schools have addressed all aspects of cultural awareness, including language, by the introduction of the Yellow Flag Initiative (YFI), through which children focus on food, language, customs, music, dance, religions and various aspects of the daily lives of their peers in a whole-school context. The programme includes input from parents, teachers children and outside agencies and is cross-curricular. Fintan O’Toole rightly credits teachers, parents and immigrants for the “miracle” that has been achieved in dealing with the welcome influx of children from many nations in the absence of any real leadership or resource provision for many years.
What support was eventually provided has been dissipated as a result of the recession and this has impacted negatively on schools. Now that the banks are looked after and are profitable again, the focus should now be on the importance of building an inclusive, equal, diverse and content society which ensures that, rather than sleepwalking, we will walk together proudly as a republic in the true sense of the word. – Is mise,
SEAN Ó DIOMASAIGH,
Principal,
Sacred Heart
of Jesus National School,
Huntstown,
Mulhuddart,
Dublin15.