Language support system in schools racist, says union

THE State’s language support for foreign national pupils is “racism at its worst”, according to a teachers’ union representative.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) assistant general secretary John O’Reilly said that in some urban areas, pupils’ educational needs are not being met.

The Department of Education’s policy is to provide a maximum of two languages support teachers to a school regardless of the number of non-English speaking students. This could be challenged in the courts, the TUI claimed yesterday.