THE CHAIRWOMAN of the steering group of the Government's National Action Plan Against Racism has criticised the Department of Education for faltering in its attempts to address diversity in schools.
Speaking yesterday on the first day of Intercultural and Anti-Racism Week, which this year has an education theme, Lucy Gaffney acknowledged the department's recent efforts, but expressed concern that it had yet to develop an intercultural education strategy.
"The action plan was launched in 2005. The department that is faltering the most is the Department of Education," she said. "It's never too late . . . but they have not yet developed a national intercultural education strategy, a blueprint for accommodating diversity at all levels within the Irish education system."
The four-year action plan ends in December. While the department had more English language teachers, the total was "not nearly enough", while the production of intercultural guidelines had not been accompanied by in-service training for teachers.
"If we act [on these issues] that will certainly help minimise any potential dangers that we have among the youth if there is an economic downturn," Ms Gaffney said. "Let's put a bit of effort and time into a proper education system that fully reflects the new society that we live in."
Ms Gaffney called on Brian Cowen to give the Minister of State for Integration a seat in Cabinet if, as expected, he becomes taoiseach next month. "This is one of the single biggest issues that is going to face Irish society, and I strongly believe that the role should be a cabinet position," she said.
Minister for Integration Conor Lenihan said last weekend that over 17,000 students from 160 different countries are enrolled in the Republic's secondary schools.
Outlining measures taken by the Department of Education on diversity, he said 1,900 language support teachers had been appointed and intercultural guidelines had been produced. Work was also under way on the development of language assessment kits for post-primary schools which would be circulated to all schools later in the year.
A major education conference would also take place in June, Mr Lenihan said, looking into the implications of social diversity.
Meanwhile, a psychologist told the launch of a campaign for the reform of the asylum process by NASC, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre in Cork, that the State's "direct provision" system for asylum seekers was causing demoralisation and preventing asylum seekers from integrating.
Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Tony Humphreys said the system repeated the shortcomings of mental asylums - institutionalistion, depersonalisation, increased dependence and helplessness.
"The fact that asylum seekers are five times more likely to be diagnosed with psychiatric illness is evidence of the nature of the asylums provided," he said, adding that individuals needed to be treated with dignity whether they stay or eventually leave Ireland.