Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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936. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to roll out anti-bias and anti-racism training for all teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19868/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Under Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education programmes must be accredited by the Teaching Council for registration purposes. The Council reviewed its policy on standards for programmes of initial teacher education and published updated standards in Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in October 2020. The revised standards place inclusive education and global citizenship as two of seven core elements which underpin all aspects of programmes of ITE.

Inclusive Education within ITE refers to any aspect of teachers’ learning aimed at improving their capacity to address and respond to the diversity of learners’ needs; to enable their participation in learning; and remove barriers to education through the accommodation and provision of appropriate structures and arrangements to enable each learner to achieve the maximum benefit from his/her attendance at school. The Council’s view of a truly inclusive approach to professional practice recognises that teachers encounter a diverse range of needs in the course of their teaching, regardless of setting. This will include additional learning needs and learning needs associated with diverse linguistic, socioeconomic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Global Citizenship Education (GCED) includes Education for Sustainable Development; Wellbeing (personal and community); Social Justice, Interculturalism. There should be demonstrable integration between Inclusive Education and Global Citizenship Education rooted in the principle of care for others.

GCED aims to empower learners of all ages to assume active roles, both locally and globally, in building more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure societies. GCED ensures that “all learners are provided with the knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development” (UNESCO).

Oide is the national support service providing professional learning for teachers and school leaders. It provides school-based supports, workshops, specific resources and training online and in person. Oide has dedicated Wellbeing teams at Primary and Post-Primary.

Oide has designed a one-day professional learning event (PLE) for both primary and post-primary schools titled “Fostering an Inclusive Culture in Schools”. This PLE aims to broaden school leaders’ and teachers’ understanding of inclusion and support the development of an awareness of the value of embracing diversity within schools. The importance of all learners experiencing a sense of belonging to their school is a central theme in the PLE. There will be opportunities for participants to explore how they can foster an inclusive culture in their schools, where all learners, including those from migrant, refugee and ethnic minority backgrounds, feel a strong sense of belonging.

The professional learning events provided by the Oide Induction Division are underpinned by an inclusive ethos and they promote acceptance, respect, and non-hierarchical support for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs). In addition, they offer a range of inclusion and wellbeing workshops for NQTs all of which promote self-awareness and inclusive classroom strategies.

To support the implementation of the Senior Cycle SPHE Specification (2024), the Oide Post Primary Wellbeing team is rolling out nationwide 2-day professional learning experiences (PLEs) for each curriculum. These PLEs include references to the senior cycle principles of inclusive education and diversity. SPHE teachers are supported to recognise that the educational experience in senior cycle is inclusive of every student, valuing and respecting diversity and the contribution each student can make.