Migrant strategy aims to make integration 'the norm' in classrooms

TEACHERS SHOULD create a more “intercultural learning environment” in classrooms and focus more on developing pupils’ English language skills during regular lessons.

These are two key proposals in a new Government five-year migrant education strategy, which aims to make “inclusion and integration the norm” and combat racism in schools.

In the 2009/10 academic year there were 28,422 migrant children attending second-level schools, 9 per cent of the school population. At primary level, there are 45,700 immigrant pupils out of a total student population of 476,000. British, Polish and Nigerians are the three biggest migrant groups at second-level schools.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0916/1224278992567.html

A third in asylum centres are children

At the end of May there were 6,246 people living in direct provision accommodation in 45 centres around the country, 2,034 of whom are under 18.

More than 1,250 of those are children under four years old, suggesting many are being born in Ireland as asylum seekers.

http://irishexaminer.com/ireland/a-third-in-asylum-centres-are-children-126772.html#ixzz0vTbFJjvz

Parents forced to seek asylum for Irish-born children

IRISH-BORN children only a few months old are being individually placed in the asylum process despite never having left Ireland.

The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) is to raise the issue, which is leading to significant delays in the asylum process, with the Department of Justice.

The individual designation of young children born in their resident state as asylum seekers deviates from best practice in other EU states, where children are treated as family dependents.

http://irishexaminer.com/ireland/parents-forced-to-seek-asylum-for-irish-born-children-125617.html#ixzz0uFoGg01H

Migrant young people bullied in schools

NEW research has warned of the "potential for conflict" between immigrant and native Irish children as young foreign people in Ireland battle with language barriers.

Migrant children are experiencing racism and bullying and even more aggressive attitudes and actions, according to research by the Trinity Immigration Initiative. Multiple studies from the college also looked at how migrants were coping with work, integration as well as the courts.

Read more: http://irishexaminer.com/ireland/study-migrant-young-people-bullied-in-schools-123882.html#ixzz0sT6mEgLC

Trafficking of children 'is a reality'

A LEADING children's charity has called on health service bosses to recognise the "reality" of child trafficking in Ireland.

Concerns were raised after figures showed more than 500 unaccompanied children seeking asylum vanished while in the care of the State over the past 10 years.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/trafficking-of-children-is-a-reality-2043516.html

Commission finds Church covered up child sex abuse

The Commission of Investigation into Dublin’s Catholic Archdiocese has concluded that there is “no doubt” that clerical child sexual abuse was covered up by the archdiocese and other Church authorities.

The commission’s report covers the period between January 1st 1975 and April 30th 2004. It said there cover-ups took place over much of this period.

In its report, published this afternoon, it has also found that “the structures and rules of the Catholic Church facilitated that cover-up.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1126/breaking73.htm

Child benefit changes urged for foreign nationals

Child benefit payments to foreign nationals whose children live outside the State should be reduced significantly, according to a report on social welfare fraud by an Oireachtas committee.

About 7,000 EU nationals resident in Ireland are claiming child benefit for 11,000 children living outside the State. This is projected to cost the exchequer about €20 million this year.

The report says it is “not appropriate” to pay the Irish rate of child benefit for children in other countries where the cost of living is significantly lower.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1022/1224257226342.html

Most minors missing from care in Dublin are Chinese

SOME 80 per cent of minors who are reported missing from State care in Dublin are Chinese teenagers who had sought asylum.

According to the Garda missing persons bureau, 28 Chinese minors have been publicised as missing from the care of the Health Service Executive (HSE) over the past 12 months. Seven other minors were reported missing in the same period: four Africans – from Gambia, Somalia, Togo and Nigeria – an Iraqi, a Bosnian teenager and an Irish child.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1005/1224255887682.html

33 children missing from state care

A TOTAL of 33 children have gone missing from state care since January, with 29 of them still unaccounted for.

The children, who came to Ireland from other countries unaccompanied by their parents, were in the care of the HSE at the time of their disappearance.

New figures, confirmed by the HSE, show that a total of 310 children who have disappeared from HSE hostel-style accommodation over the last seven years remain unaccounted for.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/authorities-cant-locate-29-children-lost-in-care-1857050.html

€4.5m in social welfare for children living abroad

The Government paid €4.5m in childcare allowances for children living outside of Ireland last year, new figures reveal.

The overseas Early Childcare Supplement payments quadrupled between 2007 and 2008 from €1.1m to €4.5m, the Department of Social and Family Affairs has confirmed.

The number of non-resident children qualifying for the allowance is estimated to reach about 7,000 this year, at a projected cost of €7m.

When the childcare payment was launched in 2006, it emerged that children of migrant workers who are resident in their home country were entitled to the annual €1,000 payment, even though it was designed to help spefically with childcare costs.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/state-paid-836445m-for-children-living-abroad-1658189.html

Teachers back call to segregate immigrants

TEACHERS last night gave a guarded backing to calls for immigrant children who cannot speak English properly to be "segregated" in our classrooms.

This followed a Fine Gael call yesterday for the Government to separate immigrant children with poor language skills from the rest of their classmates.

The party’s education spokesman, Brian Hayes, said children should not be put into a mainstream class until they have a competence for it.

He added: “And if that requires segregation, well then we have got to segregate the child in the best interests of that child.”

He said he was also aware that many parents were frustrated at the effect the lack of segregation was having on the education of their Englishspeaking children.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/teachers-back-call-to-segregate-immigrants-1458490.html