ASTI backs separate classes for foreign students

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) says it supports the idea of setting up separate English clashes for foreign students with poor language skills.

Yesterday, Fine Gael called for immigrant children with poor English to be segregated from their classmates and educated separately.

The ASTI says it does not advocate the use of negative words like "segregation", but would support extra English-language teaching to speed up the integration of foreign students into mainstream classes.

National Action Plan Against Racism chairperson Lucy Gaffney said that the classroom is the ideal place for children of different cultures to mix, however.

"The classroom is the ideal place for children from different cultures to mix," she said. "We should be doing all in our power to promote integration rather than separation.

"In this regard, comments from politicians suggesting that ‘segregation’ may be required are ill-judged."