Migrant children suffer ‘cultural racism’ in Irish schools

Parents of migrant children feel “patronised” by Irish parents, criticise the quality of education in Ireland, and talk of “cultural racism” in the school system, research carried out mainly in Cork and Limerick reveals.

Gertrude Cotter, the co-author of the research, Parenting in a Multicultural Society: Migrants and their experiences of parenting in Ireland, said it was surprising how similar some views were about parenting in Ireland, given the diverse nature of the people interviewed.

Ms Cotter and co-author Olaniyi Kolawole carried out a literature review and extensively interviewed 20 parents from countries including Nigeria, Romania, Kenya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and the US.