Education 'central to integration'

The way English is taught to immigrant children must be urgently examined, a conference organised by the Irish Episcopal Commission for Emigrants has been told.

Intercultural expert Prof Desmond Cahill, who advised the Australian government on integration issues, said yesterday the teaching of English as a second language was a " highly specialised" skill.

He referred to the fact that there was no degree-level course in the State for teaching English as a second language.

"Teachers in Ireland need not only support regarding this challenge but they all require specialist training. All this is necessary if we are to ensure that the quality of learning in classrooms - for both established and newly arrived pupils - is not adversely affected."

He said education and language were central to the integration challenge facing Ireland and warned that generous financial resources were no substitute for well-informed policy.

Prof Cahill pointed to the Australian system of establishing full-time English language teaching centres, which newly arrived children attend for six to 12 months before entering the mainstream education system.

"Ireland will find its own way but it can usefully draw on the experiences of other countries like Australia or Canada," he said.

He also promoted the use of multicultural teaching aides, who speak the language of the community to liaise with parents and help them deal with the schooling system.

Prof Cahill met representatives from schools in Dublin 15, which have been struggling to accommodate growing numbers. He said the problems were very similar to those faced by Australian schools in the 1970s and 1980s.

Prof Cahill was yesterday's keynote speaker at the three-day conference which concludes today.

© 2007 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times