Step 3: Equality and Diversity Training

Start where you are, but don’t stay there

(African saying)

Step 3 is about empowering staff and management to become intercultural educators.

An experienced trainer from the Yellow Flag Programme will visit your school to deliver a 2-hour workshop in intercultural awareness. Staff, board members and others are welcome to take part.

It is highly recommended that staff and board members also do the on-screen programme ‘Yellow Flag Self Awareness Training’ as part of their continuous professional development. This training must be undertaken by the Link Teacher. The training consists of six modules each around 25 minutes in duration. The training can be undertaken individually or in teams.

A link to the training will be sent to your school after you have completed the Equality and Diversity training.

Schools often use Croke Park hours to do the training on offer.

What will we learn?

Through the in-school and on-screen training programme, staff will gain a greater awareness of how to be an intercultural educator. This includes being more aware of their own attitudes and values, understanding the dynamics of racism and how to relate to students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

We are not the same!

There is often a tendency to say that we are all ‘the same’. However, this is not the case. The young people we work with bring different life experiences, beliefs and values to our own. Intercultural education means that we acknowledge these differences and celebrate them, this enables us to treat everyone equally. Giving our students the chance to see their culture from a position of strength, helps them to become more engaged with learning, build self-esteem and a positive sense of identity.

What is racism?

Racism occurs when someone is treated differently or unfairly because of their ethnicity, skin tone or culture. Indirect racism occurs when our practices do not appear to advantage or disadvantage any group, but end up having an unfair effect. Students can experience direct racism through the use of racist language, attacks or being excluded. They can experience indirect racism by taking part in classes that give expression to only one cultural view point.

Saying the wrong thing

A big fear we can have when talking about culture, ethnicity or racism is ‘saying the wrong thing’. However, failing to talk about these things and treating all of our students ‘the same’ can prevent us from seeing the full identity of our students or making meaningful relationships with them. Avoiding the issue prevents growth, understanding and learning for all of us. Sometimes conflicts come out into the open, these should be seen as a way to learn more about the topic and each other. Acknowledging that we are all learning and that we are all used to seeing the world from our own particular cultural viewpoint, can help create an environment where it is safer to make mistakes.

Go further!

• See our Glossary of Terms at the back of this Handbook
• Have all staff undertake the ‘Yellow Flag Self Awareness Training’ as part of their continuous professional development.
• Have copies of the NCCA Intercultural Guidelines for schools available to teachers in the staff room or library