Northern Ireland's Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane, launches start of academic year at DCU
Friday 5 October 2007

Caitriona Ruane, Northern Ireland's Education Minister and Dr Carmel Mulcahy, Head of the School of Education Studies

Caitriona Ruane, Northern Ireland's Education Minister, gave an address to mark the opening of the academic year at DCU. This was the Minister's first visit to the Republic since coming to office in May 2006.

The event was organised by DCU's School of Education Studies, which runs undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Education and Training, and Guidance and Counselling. It was attended by over 250 staff and students, as well as DCU President, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski.

Caitriona Ruane, Northern Ireland's Education Minister and Dr. James O'Higgins-Norman, Lecturer in the School of Education Studies

In her address, the Minister highlighted the challenges ahead for the island of Ireland, in a new political era, where relationships are being developed both within, and outside Ireland.

Ms Ruane also spoke about the importance of embracing diversity, both in education and the wider community.

"Part of my vision is to build an education system that has equality and respect for diversity at its very core. In the North, we are experiencing an increasing number of children in our schools, around 4,000, for whom English is not their first language. We have around 32 languages being spoken by these new children and I welcome this diversity and the opportunity it offers our children to learn about new cultures. Of course we have to help these children adapt to our school ways as easily as possible and in the current year we are spending over £4million to ensure they have quality of opportunity", she said. "I believe an inclusive approach is essential in today's world, where barriers to mobility are falling and travel is much easier".

Dr Carmel Mulcahy, Head of the School of Education Studies, also emphasised the need for managers, trainers, educators and counsellors to tackle the issue of diversity. "Many of the problems that arise through working with diversity are caused by lack of experience and lack of training", she said. "We need to engage with the notion of inclusive citizenship to prepare our trainees and students to live in an intercultural setting and to explore the rights and responsibilities of such an approach".