Warning over lack of support for foreign pupils

A WARNING that failure to provide adequate language support teachers for ethnic minority students could lead to future social problems was given yesterday.

The Government’s intention to press ahead with a plan drawn up by the previous administration to reduce the number of language support teachers by 500 on a phased basis by 2014 was heavily criticised at the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) congress.

Under the plan, 125 language support posts will be abolished in September.

TUI deputy general secretary Annette Dolan said there was a high concentration of non-national students in certain urban areas, some of whom may not speak English well. Lack of funding in education could lead to future discrimination and ghettoisation, Ms Dolan added.

She said: “If there isn’t investment now in proper resources, we could be creating problems for the future that will cost more in policing and social services.”

Delegate Marian Cox, a former chair of TUI Equality Council, feared children were “going to get lost and fall behind”, especially those in classes of 30, in which it was going to be much difficult for teachers to work with them.

“I think it will cause stress for teachers who will do their best to overcome this inadequacy as teachers invariably try to do, but it’s an injustice to these children that they don’t get this language support,” she said.

“I worry about the future. If the resources aren’t put in now, what’s going to happen to these children when they leave schools? They’re not able to get jobs because their results aren’t up to par and then you have the ghettoisation of society and rise of racism that has happened in other countries and that’s my worry,” Ms Cox said.

Ms Cox is an assistant principal at Balbriggan Community College, Dublin, where up to 25% of the 600 students come from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Delegates unanimously passed a motion from the Dublin City Post Primary branch for a study into the resources needed to cater for non-Irish students in VEC, community and comprehensive schools.