A 15-year-old old boy who was about to enter into the prime of his life was savagely murdered in Dublin last week on the one day which is referred to as good — Good Friday. Racist motives are suspected in the stabbing of Toyosi Shittabey, a well-respected Nigerian boy, who was a promising young football star with Shelbourne FC, and who had been living in Ireland for the past 11 years with his family. His tragic death, along with an eye-opening report issued by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland this week, which showed that almost half of members surveyed had shockingly witnessed racial incidents in schools/colleges in the past month, is sending out a stark signal that it racial policy and cultural cohesion is a vital necessity for Ireland in 2010, with education key in implementing such integration.
The survey by Behaviour and Attitudes was conducted among teachers and lecturers on the issue of interculturalism, racism, and resources, with the key findings showing the worrying tendency for racist incidents to occur, and with Government funding being curtailed in education it is further alienating students from different ethnic backgrounds whose first language is not English.
The TUI report found that with support services being curtailed in teaching language supports, school life is becoming intolerable for many immigrant children with 62 per cent of TUI members saying that support for teaching English was inadequate. Seventy per cent of teachers said that interpretation services were inadequate, and 80 per cent of respondents from VEC schools did not have external translation services in place. Outrageously, 49 per cent of VEC schools so not have a policy on anti-racism and the promotion of interculturalism, and 32 per cent of respondents said that there is no specific formal procedure to follow if a racist incident occurred in their school or college.
TUI deputy general secretary Annette Dolan has hit out at Government cutbacks in education as not alone “will cutbacks have a severe impact on all students, minority ethnic students have been disproportionately hit by Government cutbacks and specific supports for these students have been asset-stripped in the Government’s slash-and-burn approach to education over the past 18 months”.
Even though the report found that the majority of racial attacks occurred in Dublin, particularly in communities where there have been profound job losses, the survey reflects an unnerving attitude trend among young people, who without proper education in this area — funding for which is needed — may increase such shocking behaviour and racism in schools may spiral out of control.
Local Mayo Sinn Fein councillor Thérèse Ruane has also criticised the Government for its cutting of funding for the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism and the National Action Plan Against Racism. Councillor Ruane is also involved with Mayo Intercultural Action, a locally based organisation which provides support and advocacy for migrants living and working in the county. Volunteers are always required, and what better way for communities to get to know each other then by spending time through integrating together in fun social and educational activities?
As the community of Tyrallestown united in grief as Toyosi Shittabey was laid to rest on Thursday morning, every community in Ireland needs to unite and focus on how we can all benefit from a more inclusive and intercultural society in 2010, with education imperative in creating this change.
