1. Minority Ethnic Groups in Ireland

There has always been cultural diversity in Ireland, despite the widely believed myth that Ireland has been and still is a homogeneous and a mono-cultural society or the defining of diversity solely along religious grounds (Protestant and Roman Catholic). However there has been a significant broadening of cultural diversity in recent years, both in terms of numbers of people, and national or ethnic origin. In Ireland there are now more visible populations of black Irish and other EU and non-EU citizens.

There are now approximately 160 different nationalities living in Ireland. According to the 2002 census there were 224,261 non-Irish people usually resident in Ireland. 133,436 of which are EU nationals, 23,105 are nationals of other European countries, 20,981 are African, 21,779 are Asian, and of the remainder the vast majority are from North America and Australia. The 2002 Census of population indicates that non-nationals make up 5.8 percent of the population, of which almost half were UK nationals (2.7 percent).

Traveller Community

The 2002 Census indicates that there are 23,681 Irish Travellers, representing approximately 0.65 percent of the population. Traveller access and participation in education, as indicated by enrolment, continues to be very mixed. The education report submitted to the Monitoring Committee of the Task Force of the Traveller Community in November 2002 stated that:

It is to be acknowledged that the drop out rate for Traveller children has been unacceptably high. Greater efforts will be made with the assistance of the Education and Welfare Board in particular to encourage Traveller children to remain in school until they meet the statutory age requirement.

The ECRI second report on Ireland refers to the fact that ‘Traveller children have in the past faced extreme marginalisation as regards access to education in Ireland, often being entirely excluded from the schools system, placed in segregated classes, or dropping out of the system early’. These conclusions are supported by data which has recently become available from the 2002 national census on the educational achievements of members of the Traveller community. The majority of members of the Traveller community do not progress beyond primary level education.

Table 1: Irish Travellers aged 15 years and over, classified by highest level of education completed and sex, 2002. Source: CSO

Other Minority Ethnic Groups

It is also important to emphasise the connection between racism and other forms of discrimination including gender, disability and sexual orientation.

3. Interculturalism

The concept of interculturalism is one that sees cultural diversity as a strength that can enrich society. Interculturalism recognises that racism exists and needs to be challenged. An intercultural approach is the development of strategies, policies and practices that encourage interaction, understanding, and respect between different cultures and ethnic groups. It is the opposite to assimilation (the absorption of minority ethnic groups into the dominant culture) and goes beyond multiculturalism which tolerated minority groups culture with no acknowledgement of the need to change the negative attitudes and practices of the majority population.

4. Discrimination in Education

NCCRI Racist Monitoring

The Bill leaves section 37(1) of the Employment Equality Act in force. This section allows a religious, educational or medical institution under the direction or control of a religious body to discriminate in order to maintain its religious ethos. This subsection does not contain any requirement that where difference in treatment based on a person’s religion or belief, that religion or belief should constitute a genuine, legitimate and justified occupational requirement. Such as is required by Article 4.2 of Council Directive 2000/78/EC.

Section 7 of the Equal Status Act is amended with the addition of a subsection which states that the Minister for Education and Science does not discriminate where he/she requires grants to be restricted to nationals of a member state of the EU. A submission by the Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC) on the Equality Bill 2004, concludes that it is very disappointing that rather than take into account the recommendations of the ODEI-The Equality Authority, discussed above, the government has chosen to approach the matter by amending the Equal Status Act.

7. Implementing Intercultural Education

Recent policy statements and initiatives have recognised that what is needed is an education system which fully reflects the diverse composition of contemporary Irish society. The NCCRI advocates a holistic approach to intercultural education which recognises the need to support diversity in all sectors of the education system. In other words interculturalism should underpin all aspects of education including, though not limited to, pedeological approaches, curricular content, school structures and administrative procedures.

Intercultural education would serve both to undermine racism and discrimination, as well as promote a broader understanding of and respect for diversity in Irish society.

Challenges

There are four key challenges which will need to be effectively and successfully addressed in order to lay the foundations for a holistic approach to intercultural education in Ireland.

1.Promoting respect for diversity and challenge prejudice and discrimination

2.Reasonably accommodate cultural and ethnic diversity

3.Reflect a statutory equality policy, which refers to all levels of the education system

4.Promote an intercultural strategy within the informal youth sector

Implementation measures

Develop a national intercultural education strategy with reference to equality/diversity policy

Based on the recommendations of the Department of Education and Science report ‘Promoting Anti Racism and Interculturalism in education’ an overall programme aimed at the reasonable accommodation of cultural diversity at all levels of the Irish education system should be implemented through a national intercultural education strategy, with reference to broader equality policy in Ireland.

Develop a more inclusive and intercultural school environment through the whole school planning process

The school plan provides the most effective way of ensuring that there is reasonable accommodation of cultural diversity within individual schools. School policies have a key role to play in the development of a more inclusive school environment as part of the whole school planning process, including policy related to:

Admissions and Enrolment

Reception/induction of new students

Curriculum, including civic/social/religious education

Learning supports

Bullying

Child protection

Home/school liaison

Employment and Human Resource Management

Schools will need support and guidance to ensure that they have the skills to work in an increasingly intercultural environment both within the school or in the broader community context in which the school is located.

Accommodate cultural and ethnic diversity within the curricula

The curricula at both primary and second level have a key role in ensuring that students appreciate the richness of a diversity of cultures and are able to challenge prejudice and discrimination where they exist.

Develop an intercultural implementation strategy within youth work

Building on the commitments in the National Youth Work Development Plan and the work of existing national umbrella and local youth work organisations, an intercultural implementation strategy should be developed for the youth service, which would seek to take on board the ‘whole system’ approach, including mainstreaming and targeted strategies to combat racism and to make reasonable accommodation of cultural and ethnic diversity.

Enhance access and education service delivery to Travellers

Some of the key issues related to Traveller participation in education can be summarised as follows:

•High levels of participation by Travellers at preschool and primary level

•Poor participation of Travellers at second level, (by year four only 6% of those Travellers progressing from primary to second level remain)

•Participation at third level is probably less than five Travellers per annum

•Poor participation at adult/further education level

•Literacy levels improving, but a very high proportion of Travellers still unable to read or write

The enhancement of access to education service delivery to Travellers is a multifaceted issue that takes into account living circumstances, parent/pupil/teacher expectations and the wider marginalisation/social exclusion experienced by Travellers. This will require a multifaceted response, including review of existing education provision and supports at all levels within the education system.

Enhance the participation of refugees and long-term residents in education provision

Some of the key issues related to refugee and long-term residents participation in education includes:

•Insufficient English language proficiency among some refugees

•The need for additional teaching supports within the classroom

•Lack of recognition of qualifications

•The requirement on most non-EU residents to full economic fees at third level, no matter how long their residency in Ireland

•Supports needed for specialised teachers

Enhance access and education service delivery to women and unaccompanied minors

Many women from cultural and ethnic minorities experience additional barriers in accessing education provision, including lack of access to childcare, and lack of education provision that makes reasonable accommodation of cultural and ethnic diversity, including sensitivities on gender issues. Unaccompanied minors are a particularly vulnerable group of young asylum seekers/refugees who need additional supports in educational placement.

Enhance provision of English as a second language

Language and literacy proficiency has long been recognised as playing a key role in the integration process. There is considerable linguistic diversity and ability to communicate in English among people who are recent migrants to Ireland, but there are also a significant number of people who need to improve their English language skills. Many primary and second level schools are also faced with the challenges of teaching pupils who need additional language supports.

Evolve education related data systems to provide a comprehensive picture of diversity and policy progress

At present there is limited availability of data related to pupil/student diversity in the Irish education system beyond enrolment of non-nationals and Travellers at primary and second level. The broadening of existing statistical and administrative data systems at all levels will provide a more comprehensive picture of ethnic and cultural diversity within the education system will assist in the process of benchmarking both individual student and general policy progress.

Strengthen the participation of key stakeholders in the development of an intercultural approach to education

Key stakeholders in the development of an intercultural approach to education include the Department of Education and Science, education bodies, specialised and expert bodies, teacher bodies including trade unions, parent bodies and representatives from cultural and ethnic minorities. Participation involves a range of strategies at different levels, including participation at a policy level, administrative level and school/college level. In particular there is a need for on going coordination within the Department of Education and Science, which involves a range of key stakeholders.

Annex 1: NCCRI and Education

To date the NCCRI has been and continues to be active in promoting anti-racists and intercultural education.

1.Submission to the Education Disadvantage Committee to assist development of a Traveller Education Strategy (January 2003)

2.Activity Pack for Schools and Youth Workers: This pack was produced in partnership with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. This activity pack aimed to provide a range of ideas for those working with young people in schools or more informal education settings who are interested in exploring cultural diversity and raising awareness about racism (2001)

3.Racist Incident Monitoring: in its monitoring of racist incidences the NCCRI plays an important role in monitoring racism and discrimination in educational environments

4.CDVEC Resource Book: The City of Dublin VEC, Curriculum Development Unit in partnership with the NCCRI, provided a practical resource book to help schools promote interculturalism through the Civic Social and Personal Education Curriculum

5.Submission to the Expert Group on the Content and Duration of Post-Primary Teacher Education: This submission focuses on the need for teachers to receive anti-racism and intercultural training within both pre-service and in-service training programmes and that they adopt an intercultural approach in their method of teaching (July 1999)

6.The NCCRI is represented on key bodies in the field of education, including:

•National Council for Curriculum and Assessment Steering Committee on Interculturalism and the curriculum

•Advisory Committee to CDVEC Curriculum Development Unit

•Curriculum Development Unit of the CDVEC

•CDU/Department of Education Committee on Lifelong Learning

•Eist Steering Group, Pavee Point

•Advisory Group to the National Childcare Co-coordinating Committee (NCCC

•National Children’s Advisory Council

•CECDE, Advisory Committee

•Department of Education and Science Working Group on Anti-Racism and Interculturalism

Annex 2: Policy developments relevant to intercultural education

Over the last decade there has been significant policy progress with regard to accommodating cultural diversity in the education system, although these are at a relatively early stage of development. This section will attempt to elucidate key areas in a broadly chronological approach, thus encompassing both general initiatives and those targeted specifically at the Traveller community.

The White Paper on Early Childhood Education, 1999 reiterated the need for consultations with Traveller organisations on a range of issues affecting pre-school provision for Travellers. However is does not contain any explicit commitment to incorporate anti-bias, anti-racism or respect for diversity into early childhood education.

An intercultural approach is encouraged in the Revised Primary School Curriculum (1999) this document states that ‘the curriculum has particular responsibility in promoting tolerance and respect for diversity in both the school and the community’.

A Green Paper on Adult Education was published in November 1998 and followed by the White Paper in 2000. The White Paper reiterated a commitment to ‘promote quality of access, participation and outcome for participants in adult education, with pro-active strategies to counteract barriers arising from differences of socio-economic status, gender, ethnicity and disability’.

A key objective of the National Children’s Strategy (2000) is that ‘children will be educated and supported to value social and cultural diversity so that all children including Travellers and other marginalised groups achieve their full potential’. The strategy recommends:

•a whole school approach to interculturalism and anti-racism

•the recognition of diversity in all policy and service delivery

•English language tuition for children whose mother tongues are other than English

•provision for unaccompanied children to be in line with best international practice

Meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Science

Presentation by the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI)

11 March 2004

Introduction and background

{Anastasia Crickley, Chairperson NCCRI}

Good morning. The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) welcomes the opportunity to address the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Science. We welcome the focus of today’s meeting on the provision of educational services in a multi ethnic society and hope that it is the beginning of further discussion and interaction on this increasingly important policy issue.

I have a dual interest in this issue as I am both Chairperson of the NCCRI and a lecturer in NUI, Maynooth and I firmly believe universities should be taking a stronger leadership role

We have divided our brief presentation into two sections. The first part of the presentation will focus on increasing cultural diversity in Ireland in general and our education system in particular. Philip Watt, Director of the NCCRI will be outlining some issues of key concern and possible ways forward. This theme of today’s discussion is particularly appropriate given the fact that Sunday, March 21^st is International Day Against Racism which is an important focus for diversity and anti racism initiatives in Ireland.

By way of introduction, the NCCRI is an expert body funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform that seeks to bring together both Government and non-Government bodies to build partnership approaches in combating racism and supporting the development of a more inclusive and intercultural society in Ireland.

The focus of our brief presentation this morning is to highlight some of the issues raised in our more substantive submission to you, copies of which we have also been made available to you.

There is no doubt that Ireland is now a more culturally diverse society that it was 10 years ago. There are now approximately 160 different nationalities living in Ireland. The 2002 Census of population indicates that non-nationals make up 5.8 percent of the population, with about half of this figure being comprised of non-EU citizens.

Of course ethnic diversity in our society is not new. The 2002 Census also indicates that there are 23,681 Irish Travellers, representing approximately 0.65 percent of the population. There has also been a long established Jewish community and Islamic community in Ireland. In more recent years growing numbers of people from Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa have come to Ireland mostly as migrant workers but also as refugees and asylum seekers. A further feature of the growing diversity in Ireland has been the significant increase in Orthodox Christians and Muslims in Ireland over the past ten years, largely as a consequence of increased inward migration.

There has also been a significant increase in diversity in all levels of our education system. Cultural diversity in third level colleges has increased as a consequence of active recruitment policies. As Ireland’s and the rest of the EU’s birth rate continues to fall, it is likely that this trend will continue.

There are many thousands of English language students in Ireland, who as well as adding to the greater diversity in Ireland, also significantly contribute to our economy particularly in the service industry sector.

At second and primary level, our schools are becoming more diverse, which raises challenges for teaching methodologies and supports for teachers in the classroom, in the way the curricula is developed and rolled out at a national level and the way religious diversity is accommodated within schools.

Of further concern is the issue of racism. The NCCRI racist incident reporting system has highlighted a number of incidents in our schools and colleges, which while relatively small may be indicative of a wider problem. The cases highlight that in some instances, it is clear that schools respond well to racist incidents involving students, while this may not be the case in other schools:

In short, there are a range of challenges that require both a society wide response and an education provision response. My colleague, Philip Watt will identify some of the key priorities which we feel are important.

Key Issues and Possible Way Forward

{Philip Watt, Director NCCRI}

Good Morning. This issues I wish to highlight arise from our own direct work in NCCRI and as a consequence of a year-long consultation process related to the development of the Governments forthcoming National Action Plan Against Racism which was coordinated by NCCRI.

1. The Need for an Overall Intercultural Approach to Education

There has been a number of important policy initiatives developed by the Department of Education and Science in recent years in respect of resource teachers, the revision of the curricula at primary and second level and the commitments to human rights and equality, which are consistent with building a more inclusive educations system. These are to be welcomed, but now need to be pulled together in an overall policy approach for all levels of the education system. The forthcoming National Action Plan Against Racism provides an important opportunity to do this.

2. The whole school planning process has an important role to play.

The school plan provides the most effective way of ensuring that there is reasonable accommodation of cultural diversity within individual schools. School policies have a key role to play in the development of a more inclusive school environment as part of the whole school planning process.

3. The need to accommodate cultural and ethnic diversity within the national curricula

The curricula at both primary and second level have a key role in ensuring that students appreciate the richness of a diversity of cultures and are able to challenge prejudice and discrimination where they exist. There has already been some progress in this area, through the SPHE and CPSE programmes and the overall curricula, although more needs to be done.

4. The need to enhance access and education provision for Travellers

Some of the key issues related to Traveller participation in education can be summarised as follows:

•Poor participation of Travellers at second level, (by year four only 6% of those Travellers progressing from primary to second level remain)

•Participation at third level is probably less than five Travellers per annum

We welcome the decision by the Government to review education policy that impacts on Travellers support the development of a strategic plan that seeks to fully include Travellers within mainstream education provision, while fully recognizing and respecting their culture and providing the necessary intercultural supports.

5. The need to enhance the participation of refugees and long-term residents in education provision

Some of the key issues related to refugee and long-term residents participation in education includes:

•The need for additional teaching supports within the classroom

•The requirement on most non-EU residents to full economic fees at third level, no matter how long their residency in Ireland

•Supports needed for specialised teachers

6. Consideration of issues related to access and education service delivery to women and vulnerable groups such as unaccompanied minors

Many women from cultural and ethnic minorities experience additional barriers in accessing education provision, including lack of access to childcare, and lack of education provision that makes reasonable accommodation of cultural and ethnic diversity, including sensitivities on gender issues. Unaccompanied minors are a particularly vulnerable group of young asylum seekers/refugees who need additional supports in educational placement.

7. The need to Enhance provision of English as a second language

Language and literacy proficiency has long been recognised as playing a key role in the integration process. There is considerable linguistic diversity and ability to communicate in English among people who are recent migrants to Ireland, but there are also a significant number of people who need to improve their English language skills. Many primary and second level schools are also faced with the challenges of teaching pupils who need additional language supports.

8. The important role of data

At present there is limited availability of data related to pupil/student diversity in the Irish education system beyond enrolment of non-nationals and Travellers at primary and second level. The broadening of existing statistical and administrative data systems at all levels will provide a more comprehensive picture of ethnic and cultural diversity within the education system will assist in the process of benchmarking both individual student and general policy progress.

9. Consultation

Key stakeholders in the development of an intercultural approach to education include the Department of Education and Science, education bodies, specialised and expert bodies, teacher bodies including trade unions, parent bodies and representatives from cultural and ethnic minorities. Participation involves a range of strategies at different levels, including participation at a policy level, administrative level and school/college level. In particular there is a need for on going coordination within the Department of Education and Science, which involves a range of key stakeholders.

Conclusion

{Anastasia Crickley}

As our presentation seeks to highlight, there is an urgent need for the Government to develop an overall approach to combating racism and to make reasonable accommodation of ethnic diversity at all levels of education provision. The Government’s forthcoming National Action Plan Against Racism (NPAR) provides a unique opportunity to develop such an approach. We have only touched briefly on many of the important issues in our submission and would welcome a further opportunity to look at the pre school level, the role of youth services and the adult/further education sectors.

We also welcome a further focus on education at primary, second and third level. As I know from my own background, universities and other third level institutions also have a very clear part to play in providing developmental research and delivering services for an intercultural and anti-racist society. All universities now target fee-paying non-EEA nationals but need also to respond to the specific needs of non-EEA national already resident in Ireland as well as the specific needs of the Traveller community and other minority ethnic groups long since part of Ireland.