POLAND’S ombudsman for children’s rights has said his institution objects to any proposal which would separate Polish children from mainstream classes in Irish schools.
Marek Michalak told Metro Éireann that Polish parents in Ireland had informed him of the controversial segregation proposal from Fine Gael TD Brian Hayes, who had said that non-English speaking immigrant children should be “segregated” from their Irish counterparts until their English improves. Hayes has since expressed regret at his choice of language.
Michalak, who was in Dublin attending a meeting of children’s rights ombudsmen from across Europe, commented: “[Such a proposal] is not quite good, because children should integrate and participate at the same level.
“In Poland we have a similar problem with Roma children. Some schools also wanted to have separate classes for them, and our institution was against that idea.”
However, he added that reports reaching him suggest that the biggest problem facing Polish children in Ireland is coming to terms with the English language, and that he would be speaking with his Irish counterpart Emily Logan about this and other issues affecting immigrant children in Ireland.
Michalak, who comes from an NGO rather than a political background, said he was not aware of any significant problems facing Polish children who have returned to school in Poland after having lived in Ireland. Michalak was appointed as children’s rights ombudsman by the Polish parliament in July, having been nominated by the governing Civic Platform party.
Meanwhile, in her address at the annual conference of the European Network of Ombudsmen for Children, President Mary McAleese referred to the new diversity apparent in Irish classrooms, paying tribute to the courage of children from immigrant backgrounds who have to deal with massive adjustments in their lives.
“Families have come here in the hope of better lives and they have made a huge contribution to our economy and our civic life,” she said.
“Among them are many children trying valiantly to cope with a new homeland, new language, new schools, new friends, different attitudes and customs. They may be desperately homesick or lonely for old friends and family left behind. Their sheer courage and determination is often overlooked or simply taken for granted.”
She continued: “We have children who arrive alone on our shores, children who are vulnerable to trafficking and abuse. All these new children are now our care, our kith and kin for they are the human building blocks of tomorrow’s Ireland and we need them to be strong, healthy, educated, confident and fulfilled.”
