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model of language support and bilingual/multilingual children are
referred to as ‘non-English speaking’ and ‘non-national’ 22 .
3.6 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
WITHIN THE VEC SECTOR
Several VECs have been involved in research on the education and
language needs of refugees, asylum seekers and other minority
linguistic groups since 2001. The White Paper on Adult Education,
Learning for Life, (2000) made adult asylum seekers eligible for
language and literacy support through the VECs and recommended
that a study be undertaken on their language needs. The City of
Dublin VEC, in association with County Dublin VEC, initiated a major
research project on adult asylum seekers in response. Researched
and written by Tanya Ward, the report was entitled- Asylum Seekers
in Adult Education: A Study of Language and Literacy Needs
(2002). Considering provision for asylum seekers holistically, this
research stresses that language/literacy issues are inextricably linked
to equality and interculturalism. The research advocates a learnercentred
and needs-based approach for the delivery of programmes
through a mainstream State adult education service. Written from
a gendered perspective, particular attention is paid to survivors of
torture and people with disabilities.
During the research, separated children (refer to sections 7.3 & 7.4)
were identified as experiencing immense difficulties accessing and
remaining in education. Supported by the Department of Education
and Science and working in collaboration, the City of Dublin VEC,
County Dublin VEC and Dun Laoghaire VEC initiated a research
project on the education/language needs of separated children in
2001. The project aims to compile a profile of separated children
living in Dublin and evaluate current educational provision, paying
particular attention to: equality and anti-discrimination; reception
and orientation; supporting bilingual/multilingual students in schools;
teaching materials; school attendance; guidance; and student
supports. The Dublin-based VECs will publish this research in 2004.
The City of Dublin VEC and County Dublin VEC have also published
another report entitled: Immigration and Residency in Ireland:
An Overview for Education Providers (2003). Providing up-to-date
information and statistics, this document outlines the social/economic
rights that pertain to each immigrant group residing in Ireland.
This document was widely distributed to all other VECs.
The Dublin based VECs record of research in this area indicates
that with adequate funding, VECs can draw on expertise within their
organisations and be at the forefront of research and development.
The work of the CDVEC in educational provision and research for
asylum seekers, refugees and, in particular, separated children was
recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) when it received a Certificate of Recognition in June
2003. This is only the second time an Irish based organisation was
presented with this award.
A pilot action research project was undertaken by the CDVEC
Curriculum Development Unit between January 2002 – January
2003 to examine the effectiveness of using a whole-school approach
in developing intercultural and inclusive policy and practice within
schools 23 .
The project aimed to encourage and support schools in developing
inclusive, intercultural policies and practice on a whole-school
basis, and to develop a model of a whole school approach to
interculturalism and anti-racism which could be used by all schools.
The project found that a whole school approach to interculturalism
offers schools a real and significant means of facilitating the equal
access and participation of students from all ethnic backgrounds in
the education process.
It recommended that a whole school approach to interculturalism
and anti-racism should be adopted by all education centres and
that training and awareness in interculturalism and anti-racism
should be provided for all members of a school community, both as
a prerequisite part of intercultural policy development and as part
of ongoing school development and review. Essential components
of this training should be exploration of attitudes, values and
understandings of the concepts of interculturalism and anti-racism.
The CDVEC Curriculum Development Unit also carried out a
consultation process on behalf of the DES in order to prepare
recommendations for the National Action Plan against Racism.
The report of the consultation findings and the resulting
recommendations are contained in the report Promoting Anti-racism
and Interculturalism in Education: Recommendations towards a
National Action Plan (DES: 2003).
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22
See for example, IILT English language proficiency benchmarks for non-English speaking pupils at post-primary IILT, Dublin: 2001 and IILT Learning the Language of the Host Community: Language Assessment Guidelines for
Teachers of non-English speaking non-national pupils in post-primary schools IILT, Dublin: 2001.
23
Funding for the project was received from the European Refugee Fund, Ireland Aid and the In-Career Development Unit, Department of Education and Science.