Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 2004 > Committee on Education and Science > Report No. 02 - The Provision of Educational Services in a Multi-Ethnic/Multi-Cultural Society

Tithe an Oireachtais

An Comhchoiste Um Oideachas agus Eolaíocht

An Dara Tuarascáil

Soláthar Seirbhísí Oideachais i Sochaí Ileitneach/Ilchultúir

Aibreán 2004

Houses of the Oireachtas

Joint Committee on Education and Science

Second Report

The Provision of Educational Services in a Multi-Ethnic/Multi-Cultural Society.

April 2004

CONTENTS

JOINT COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

Report

1. Introduction

The Joint Committee on Education and Science, at its meeting on the 11 March 2004 considered the issue of the provision of educational services in a multi-ethnic/multi cultural society. The committee thought that it would be particularly appropriate to consider the issue at that meeting, close to the International Day Against Racism on 21 March 2004.

To assist it in its consideration of this issue, the Committee invited representatives of LYNS: Learning for Young International Students, the National Consultative Committee on Racism and the Department of Education and Science to make presentations to the Committee. A list of all those who made presentations to the Committee are listed in Appendix IV and copies of the presentations made are in the following appendices.

The Committee would like to thank all the representatives of these organisations for assisting the Committee in its consideration of this issue and for their contribution to a wide-ranging and informative debate.

2. Observations and Recommendations.

1. Additional Language Support

The committee agrees that competence in the English language is essential to enable international students, for whom English is not their first language, to participate effectively in the school curriculum and to integrate into society. It understands that the Department of Education and Science currently provides additional language support of 1.5 hours per week per student for these students, but that this is capped, with a maximum permitted allocation of 44 hours per school, which is equivalent to 2 whole time teacher equivalents or 28 students. Therefore if the number of such students enrolled in a school exceeds 28, no additional resources are made available.

The committee also understands that no provision is made for language support teaching for pupils who enrol during the course of the year and who are not present at the beginning of the year.

Recommendation No 1

The committee recommends that the current cap of a maximum of 2 whole time teacher equivalents per school for additional language support should be abolished and that schools should receive an additional allocation of 1.5 hours per week for each additional student above 28, who require these services and who are enrolled in the school. In addition, where a student requiring this support arrives at a time other than the beginning of the school year, provision should be made for language support for that student. .

2. Use of Dictionaries in Examinations

The committee agrees that it is important that all examinations measure the true ability of pupils and that difficulties may be experienced by students for whom English is a second language with regard to the technical language required in many subjects.

The committee understands that, currently, dictionaries are not provided to candidates taking part in Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations and that this issue is currently being considered by the State Examinations Commission. The committee also recognises the need for equality in the treatment of all students with regard to this issue.

Recommendation No 2.

The Committee recommends that dictionaries, from their native language into English, should be provided to students for whom English is not their first language and that consideration also be given to the provision of dictionaries to all students.

3. Appointment of a National Coordinator

The Committee notes that Ireland has become a more culturally diverse place than it was 10 years ago and that at primary and second levels our schools are becoming more diverse, which raises many challenges for schools which require responses at both policy and practice levels in education. The committee recognises that schools and teachers have already responded to many of the practical challenges of this increasing diversity.

The committee understands that some guidance has been available to schools from the Reception and Integration Agency, an interdepartmental agency under the aegis of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in relation to provision for asylum seekers and refugees, but also in relation to other issues arising with regard to provision for non-nationals and how schools can deal with issues of an intercultural nature.

The committee also looks forward to the publication in the near future of two publications by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment on intercultural education and the curriculum for schools and teachers called respectively Intercultural Education and the Primary School Curriculum and Intercultural Education in the Post-Primary School, which the committee understands will aim to assist schools with regard to the provision of intercultural education.

The committee also recognises and welcomes the whole school planning process, which the Department of Education and Science has rolled out over the last number of years and which allows a holistic approach to the way schools and colleges plan for intercultural education.

Recommendation No 3.

While welcoming all the supports and initiatives listed above, the Committee recommends that the Department of Education and Science appoint a National Coordinator, with full administrative backup, to support and facilitate schools in facing the challenges of the increasing diversity of Irish Society and in the development and implementation of intercultural education. Through a National Co-ordinator, many of the issues facing schools could be identified and addressed. The Co-ordinator could work to ensure that policy become practice in all schools and that best practice, as evidenced in a number of schools, is mainstreamed to all schools.

4. Provision of Training

The committee understands that there is currently one course in existence to train teachers in the teaching of English as a second language, which is run by Integrate Ireland Language and Training Ltd(IILT), which was established in 1998 as the Refugee Language Support Unit under the aegis of the Centre for Language and Communication Studies at the University of Dublin. This unit provides training seminars for language support teachers, along with classroom materials.

The committee also understands that there is a pilot project where teachers have volunteered to pursue an in-service course in TCD on Wednesday afternoons in their own time. This is an initiative of the JMB and the ASTI and is welcomed by the committee.

Recommendation No 4.

The committee agrees that the Department of Education and Science needs to examine, as a matter of urgency, the increasing need for additional training for teachers, in order to allow them to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. It is of the opinion that there is a wide range of additional training required, not only for teachers who provide additional language support to students for whom English is not their first language, but to all teachers, to assist them in meeting the challenge of providing for intercultural education across all aspects of the curriculum.

5. Separated Children

The Committee understands that there is a considerable number of separated children, currently participating in second level education, in particular in Dublin, and that current practice is that these students are moved into direct provision when they reach eighteen years of age, even if this falls during their final year of preparation for the Leaving Certificate. The committee recognises that such a move can cause considerable disruption to these students, as it will usually result in a change in their living accommodation and a move away from familiar surroundings, at a time when these students are already under some pressure preparing for their exams. The committee understands that this is a matter, which comes under the remit of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, rather than the Minister for Education and Science

Recommendation No 5.

The committee agrees that separated children, in their final year of preparation for the Leaving Certificate, should not be moved into direct provision, even if they reach their eighteen birthday during that year, until after they have completed the Leaving Certificate.

6. Enrolment Policies

While the committee understands that very many schools make great efforts to inform their enrolment policies with cultural diversity, it also understands that there has been some anecdotal evidence of schools in some instances ‘cherry picking’ pupils and of having an informal policy of discouraging enrolment by non-nationals. The committee understands that to-date the Department of Education and Science is not aware of any specific evidence of such cases and in particular that this has not been reflected in the appeals taken under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998.

Recommendation No 6.

The committee recommends that the Department of Education and Science would monitor the implementation of school admission policies, in particular with regard to this issue.

7. Youth Services, Adult and Non-Formal Education

The committee understands that interculturalism is an issue, not just in relation to formal education at primary, post primary and third level, but that it can also be an issue with respect to youth services, adult and non-formal education. The committee notes that the National Youth Work Development Plan 2003-2007 makes specific mention of the multi-cultural nature of Irish society and of the importance of ensuring that this diversity is seen as a positive thing from which all can gain enrichment.

Recommendation No 7.

The committee agrees it is unrealistic to expect schools on their own to address all the issues relating to multiculturalism, that there is great scope within the areas of youth services, adult and non-formal education to also address these issues and thus to extend out further into the wider community. The committee recommends that the Department of Education and Science, when drafting policy and plans with regard to these areas, should include consideration of addressing the issue of interculturalism within these areas.

3. Decision of Committee

At its meeting on the 8 April, 2004, the Committee agreed to lay a copy of this report, with the attached appendices before the Dáil and Seanad and to print and publish the report. It was agreed that a copy of this report would be sent to the Minister for Education and Science and to the organisations which had made presentations to the committee. It was also agreed, as the issue of the accommodation of separated children is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law reform, that copies of the report would also be sent to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights.

The committee noted the following two reports, copies of which were made available to the committee.

a) Intercultural Education Guidelines for Schools - LYNS: A JMB and ACS Initiative

b) Information booklet for schools on Asylum Seekers - Department of Education and Science

In addition, the Committee noted that a copy of the official report of the meeting of the 11 March 2004, at which this issue was discussed would be available in due course on the Houses of the Oireachtas website.

________________________

Tony Killeen T.D.,

Chairman

8 April 2004