ASTI - Ireland's main second level teachers union

Interculturalism Policy

In 2008/09, the Department of Education and Science engaged in a research and consultative process to draft national guidelines for interculturalism in education. This included:

• Contribution to Government policy on integration, anti-racism, National Action plan Against Racism
• Participation in OECD Thematic  Review of Migrant Education – Report of Dept. to this review exercise provides detailed information on all aspects of State policy in relation to supporting the integration of migrant students in Irish schools. www.oecd.org/education
• Participation in EU Green Paper Consultation on Migration and Mobility: Challenges and Opportunities for EU Education Systems, www.education.ie
• Support for ESRI Study, "Managing Diversity in Primary and Post-Primary Schools”, 2009, www.esri.ie
• Inspectorate’s Thematic Evaluation of “Provision for Students Studying English as a Second Language”, Autumn 2009
• Value-For-Money Review of Expenditure on Migrant Students in Primary and Post-Primary Education, Autumn, 2009

Meeting the Needs of Pupils learning English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Use of Dictionaries in State Examinations

Students whose first language is not English can also use dictionaries in the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate examinations.  This facility does not include examinations in English, Irish, the candidate’s first language or a language closely related to the candidate’s first language. The school makes an application on behalf of the student for this support  to the State Examinations Commission.  It is important to note that the Commission sanctions the use of bi-lingual dictionaries but does not provide the dictionaries.

The English Lanauge Support Programme (ELSP) has produced a number of resources aimed at helping EAL students to access subject areas in the Junior Certificate curriculum. These resources can be downloaded at www.elsp.ie.

NCCA Guidelines on Interculturalism in Schools

The NCCA  issued Guidelines on Inter-Cultural Education in Second Level Schools  in May 2005.  The aim of the Guidelines is to advise teachers on how to promote inter-culturalism across the curriculum and through classroom practice.  The aim of the NCCA guidelines is to enable schools to identify ways in which intercultural education can be integrated into the curriculum and into broader school policy. www.ncca.ie