Is our school an intercultural school And how can we improve it

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Is our school an intercultural school? And how
can we improve it?

• Majella OShea

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• Think about your school.
• What are the various diversities?

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Some diversities..

• Gender
• Ability
• Learning style
• Behavioural differences
• Personality differences
• Family type
• Economic background
• Religious beliefs
• Values
• Cultural
• Ethnic
• Language
• Others .

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The context

• Growth in ethnic and cultural diversity
• Growing awareness of diversity
• Discussion around diversity
• Law and Policy
• National Action Plan against Racism

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Where is our school?
Intercultural
Multicultural
Monocultural
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Aims of intercultural education

• Intercultural education aims to enable children
  and young people to
• Respect, celebrate and recognise the normality of
  diversity
• Promote equality
• Challenge unfair discrimination
• Tolerance?

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Intercultural education is

• For all young people irrespective of ethnicity
• For all schools
• For all age groups
• About more than just giving students accurate
  information and telling them what is right and
  wrong
• About knowledge, skills, attitudes and values
• Integrated across all subject areas and the life
  of the schoolnot an add-on module

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Themes

• Identity and belonging
• Similarity and difference
• Human rights and responsibility
• Discrimination and equality
• Conflict and conflict resolution

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Assessment Chapter 7 Positive assessment
Inclusive school Environment Chapter 3
Developing policies Changing school practices
School planning Policy development Chapter 3
School procedures for newcomer students Chapter
3
Supporting Language learning Chapter 8
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The role of the school

• What people learn best is not what teachers think
  they teach, or what preachers think they preach,
  but what their cultures in fact cultivate.
• George Gerbner

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The school as a model of good practice.

• School development planning
• Intercultural awareness in the school mission?
• Policies, e.g. school enrolment and admissions,
  induction, school-home communication
• As an action plan, e.g. an intercultural physical
  and social environment, a school charter,
  selection of resource materials
• What are the school procedures for new children?

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School as a model of good practice.

• The physical environment of the school?
• Evidence of celebrating diversity?
• And the social?
• Are teachers comfortable dealing with diversity?
• The classroom environment physical, social and
  the curriculum?
• A representative student council?
• Parental involvement?

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School review checklist
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Some sample mission statements ..

• The school strives to give every pupil the
  opportunity to develop his/her unique and special
  talents

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• To promote success and fulfillment in our
  students lives through the development of key
  skills and values

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• School A strives for excellence in a Christian
  environment

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Continues with .

• Our Aims
• To strive for excellence in a Christian
  environment
• To foster an understanding and critical
  appreciation of Christian values, i.e., moral,
  spiritual, religious, social and cultural
• To foster a spirit of self reliance, innovation,
  initiative and imagination and to prepare
  students for life
• To create tolerant, caring and politically aware
  members of society.
• To nurture a sense of personal identity,
  self-esteem and awareness of ones unique
  abilities and aptitudes combined with a respect
  for the rights and beliefs of others.
• To raise awareness of students national and
  European heritage and identity, coupled with a
  global awareness and respect for different
  traditions and cultures.

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Some starting points for schools .

• Become more culturally aware
• Start where you are comfortable
• Seek opportunities to use the activities and
  extend them
• Include diverse cultural perspectives when
  planning
• Help students to develop higher order skills e.g.
  skills of critical thinking
• Be aware of how we use language
• Create a inclusive and culturally diverse space
  for learning

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Anti-racism and intercultural training

• National Consultative Committee for Racism and
  Interculturalism
• kensika_at_nccri.ie

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Remember

• Racism is a form of discrimination that has much
  in common with other forms of discrimination
• It takes time to develop intercultural ideas and
  practices
• We are all on a journey

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For your reflection

• One thing I would like to change in my school (or
  classroom) and how I will go about making that
  change.

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www.interfaith calendar.org www.dea.org.uk/schools
www.trocaire.org www.cafod.org.uk/resources/prima
ry www.christian.org.uk/learn/school/primary www.g
lobalgang.org.uk www.cyberschoolbus.un.org www.oxf
am.org.uk/coolplanet www.amnesty.ie www.unicef.org
/crc www.paveepoint.ie www.cso.ie