> 1 Children, Youth and Community Relations Project

> 2 Prof. Robbie Gilligan Philip Curry Sinead Shannon Lindsey Garratt Jennifer Scholtz

> 3 Overview  The project consists of a number of strands all focusing on how children and young people from different cultural backgrounds relate to one another.  The project began in a limited fashion in April 2007 and begins in earnest in the coming months.

> 4 Today’s presentation 1.Our plans for intensive case study research in primary schools in Inner-City Dublin 2.Some results from an exploratory study on how schools approach the issue of integrating children from different cultural backgrounds 3.Some results from a survey of all primary schools in inner-city Dublin

> 5 1. Intensive case studies  Begins with case studies of inter-cultural interaction at 2 primary schools in Inner-city Dublin.  Later it is hoped to look at secondary schools and at sites in the greater Dublin area and beyond.  These case studies are longitudinal and will follow the same group of children over at least a three year period.

> 6  The plan is to work intensively in each case study site – target is set at two whole days a week.  In each school one class – children aged 8 to 9 at the beginning of the study – will be the main focus of the research.  Incidental observation will also take place generally around the school.  All research will be approved by Ethics Committee of the School of Social Work and Social Policy at Trinity College.

> 7  In each case study site the aim is to answer the questions: –What is the character of relations between children of different cultural backgrounds? –What significant trends occur over study period? –What may account for variation in relations or trends across sites? –What are significant national or more local contextual influences?

> 8 2. Schools dealing with ethnic and cultural diversity  Recently completed research in primary schools in areas of high immigration density  Qualitative interviews carried out with fourteen teachers in nine schools located in the inner-city and West Dublin  Aim of the research was to explore with the teachers how their schools have responded to the growth in cultural and ethnic diversity.

> 9 2. Schools dealing with ethnic and cultural diversity  Specifically looking at the range of initiatives and policies that promote integration between children from different backgrounds.  Wide range of activities and initiatives many based on intercultural approaches.  Aims are to recognise and learn about other cultures and to teach children to appreciate diversity.

> Schools dealing with ethnic and cultural diversity Examples include;  Multilingual Christmas card,  Display of ‘welcome’ signs in different languages or flags of different countries  Celebration of national days,  Cookery demonstrations, costume displays  Intercultural days or projects  Anti-racism world cup, anti-racism programme

> Schools dealing with ethnic and cultural diversity Intercultural week Children’s activities;  Flag Ceremony, Food Tasting, Project Work/Displays,  Traditional Irish Musicians, African Dance Group, Salsa Dancing lesson, Concert by the Garda Band, Music Workshops  Story Teller, Drama, Dress up days, Parental involvement;  Community Coffee Morning  Visit from the Malaysian Embassy organised by parents  Indian parents dressing teachers in saris  Parent hosting question and answer session about Nigeria  Mother giving a demonstration of how to put on a Sikh headdress

> Schools dealing with ethnic and cultural diversity Anti Racism events  ‘ World cup’ Soccer tournament  Anti-racism week  6-week programme using multicultural materials – picture-based identification of prejudiced views followed by discussion of difference and similarity, discussion on how racism is manifested in the community.

> Survey of primary schools (The Nix!)  In April 2007 we conducted a survey of all primary schools in North Inner-city Dublin.  The aim of this survey was to provide a demographic profile of schools in the inner- city and to assist us in case study site selection.

> 14  In the 17 primary schools surveyed there were a total of 842 foreign national pupils.  This represented 30.3% of the total student population.  Foreign national students came from a total of 46 different countries but the largest groups came from Romania (17.6%), Nigeria (14.1%) and Poland (10.7%).

> 15  Schools varied greatly in the number and percentage of foreign national students attending.  Four schools had 50% or more foreign national pupils.  Three schools had 5% or less.

> 16  There is little evidence of clustering of particular nationalities in particular schools.  There were much higher numbers of foreign national pupils in lower years in school.

> 17

> 18  Thus we can reasonably expect a growing number of foreign national pupils in inner- city schools over the next three years.  On the basis of this survey we are currently agreeing with our advisory group on which schools would be best to invite to take part in our case study research.