A pack aimed at educating children about Africa and the developing world will be posted to every primary school in the State this week.
The pack will be used by teachers as an aid for the revised primary school curriculum. The pack also contains information on the Republic's aid programme in Africa.
It was developed by the National Committee for Development Education (NCDE) and Ireland Aid.
Both organisations said they hoped it might make a positive contribution to the current debate on asylum-seekers.
Ms Maura Matthews, co-ordinator of NCDE, said she hoped it would provide children with a context when dealing with people from other cultures. "It might explain to them why people have to sometimes flee from parts of Africa in distress," she said.
Launching the pack in Dublin, the Minister of State for Overseas Development and Human Rights, Ms Liz O'Donnell, said teachers faced the "challenge of developing Irish, European and global citizens for the future". She said the pack and other initiatives would develop "the critical faculties of children" and "equip them to become informed and responsible citizens".
It will be used as an aid during the social, scientific and environmental section of the new curriculum.