OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE:THE DEPARTMENT of Education should draw existing policy and initiatives into an overall national intercultural education strategy similar to the national intercultural strategy launched recently by the Health Service Executive (HSE), an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.
Philip Watt, director of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI), told the committee on education and science that while existing initiatives to address the challenges of increasing diversity in schools were to be welcomed, they tended to be piecemeal.
"Much more needs to be done . . . There is now an increased urgency on these issues," he said.
Mr Watt highlighted issues such as equality of access in school admission policies, particularly in light of the recent case in Balbriggan; support for children whose first language is not English; and support for teachers and schools including additional resources and training to tackle the challenges of an increasingly diverse student population.
He said there was now a need to draw together existing policy and initiatives into an overall intercultural strategy at national level. This should involve looking at ways to prevent segregation on the basis of faith and ethnic origin through provision of adequate numbers of school places and revised guidance on enrolment and admissions policies.
It should ensure adequate alternative provision for religious minorities during religious instruction. He also recommended the appointment of intercultural liaison officers in schools, and highlighted the need for intercultural training in teacher training colleges.
Derek Lowry, principal of Newpark Comprehensive School in Blackrock, Co Dublin, gave a joint presentation along with Fiona Ní Fhaoláin, a teacher there who also acts as intercultural liaison. Ms Ní Fhaoláin said the school's 800-strong student body was made up of 45 different ethnicities. Some students were asylum seekers and refugees.
"Even with our best efforts and intentions . . . our school struggles to meet the challenges we face every day," she told the committee. She added that the intercultural education guidelines from the department were "nowhere near enough".
"The education system needs to change to facilitate interculturalism. Making small adjustments . . . is simply not enough. We need a whole school approach supported at national level."
Mr Lowry said communicating with parents who did not speak English was an ongoing difficulty. He also cautioned about the need to maintain a balance in the ethnic make-up of each school.