Minister David Stanton T.D. Launches the Irish Second-Level Students' Union's Charter for Inclusive Schools

DATE: 22.3.17 - 12pmMinister David Stanton T.D. Launches the Irish Second-Level Students' Union's Charter for Inclusive SchoolsThe Minister with special responsibility for Equality, Integration and Immigration, David Stanton TD was on hand today to launch the ISSU Students' Charter For Inclusive Schools. The launch took place in the Clock Tower Building in the Department of Education on Marlborough Street.Minister Stanton stated “ I applaud the initiative taken by the ISSU in developing the Charter – I believe successful integration can be achieved by migrants and non-migrants working together and that students can be active participants in the process.”In November last year, the Irish Second-Level Students' Union hosted the Tool's For Inclusive Schools event, in conjunction with OBESSU's (Organising Bureau of European School Students' Unions)  'Seeds for Integration' and National Youth Council of Ireland 'One World Week' focusing on the integration of migrant and refugee students in second-level schools across Ireland. The aim of the event was to consult with second-level students and create a 'Students Charter for Inclusive Schools'.Although schools in Ireland are now more diverse than ever (with one in eight students having been born abroad) the Irish Second-Level Student's Union felt that this issue was not talked about or celebrated in schools. The ISSU Student's Charter for Inclusive Schools is an agreement imagined, designed and written by students who want to make our schools more inclusive of students from migrant, refugee, and minority backgrounds. The Charter also calls on key educational stakeholders to take concrete steps to promote inclusion at second-level education.The Charter features points such as:

• As students, we want a curriculum that adopts a critical perspective towards privilege and history
• As students, we do not judge or fear differences in viewpoints

And

• As students, we call on the Government of Ireland to 'cherish all children of the nation equally' and remove any barriers in schools admissions policies.

 The event, organised by the ISSU International Officer, Ellen O'Rourke was attended by representatives from second-level schools and organisations working in the educations sector as well as organisations representing migrant and minority groups in Ireland.The Irish Second-Level Students' Union will distribute a copy of the Charter to any School's Student Council that wishes to display the Charter in their school.-ENDS-