Newcomer pupils in the post-primary context

Joint North South conference
Friday 3 April 2009
Malahide, Co. Dublin
A North South initiative
funded by SCoTENS

“Newcomer pupils in the post-primary context
Challenges and opportunities”

Conference Rationale
Sharing experiences and ideas on a north south basis provides a rich and inspirational platform with obvious potential for further collaboration. There are many similarities in the challenges faced by the educational systems of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. There are also differences in approach which provide food for discussion and reflection.
The purpose of the conference was to bring together school principals, teaching practitioners, curriculum designers, materials developers, researchers and lecturers in the area of post-primary education as a means of sharing, discussing and examining mutual challenges.
The conference programme was designed to allow exploration of a number of different issues ranging from the broader whole-school level to the more detailed level of individual actions and projects.

Speakers and sessions
Welcome: Andy Pollak, Director, Centre for Cross Border Studies

Keynote Speaker: Joseph Sheils, Head of Department of Language Education
and Policy, Council of Europe, Strasbourg

A Whole School Approach: Ethna Kelly, Vice-Principal, St. Benedict’s College,
Randalstown

An Irish Medium Perspective: Dr. Seán McCorraidh, Adviser for Irish Medium Education, NI

Workshops:
Dr Zachary Lyons, Trinity Immigration Initiative: English Language Support Programme

Joanne Glasgow, Inclusion and Diversity Service

Ethna Kelly, St. Benedict’s College, Randalstown

Glenda Crockett and Katie Loughran, Inclusion and Diversity Service

Plenary summary and discussion: Professor David Little, Trinity College, Dublin

Download the Report on the conference