APPENDIX 5
Memorandum submitted by NUS-USI
The NUS-USI Student Movement represents the
interests of over 185,000 students in Northern Ireland and campaigns
on their behalf in many different fields such as student hardship,
finance, health, prejudice and accommodation. We also provide
an infrastructure that helps individual Students' Unions in the
North of Ireland to develop their own work through our research,
training and development functions.
Government and colleges do not currently collect
statistical information relating to the levels of hate crime directed
at students but anecdotal evidence would suggest that students,
particular from overseas, are increasing the victims of such crimes.
We have a long record of working extensively in the field of tackling
prejudice and raising awareness of the diversity issues on campus.
We therefore welcome the opportunity to input into your question
regarding:
— Examining the effectiveness of measures
taken by government and relevant agencies to tackle prejudice,
and to support the victims of such prejudice.
Since 1994 NUS-USI has employed dedicated staff
promoting community relations and later diversity in tertiary
education. We have run a number of very successful campaigns to
challenge prejudice, including the Bigots Beer campaign. We are
about to launch our new postcard and poster campaign, which focuses
on sectarianism, racism, homophobia and disability discrimination.
Over the years we have facilitated engagement between over 3,000
students on issues such as sectarianism harassment, homophobia,
racism and internalised oppression. We also run a Clubbing Together
grant scheme to encourage students to run their own events to
look at issues of diversity on campus. An example of the type
of work that this can support is the Islamic Students of Northern
Ireland's week long event of debates and exhibitions currently
on at Queen's University http://www.belfastislamiccentre.org.uk
Due to the segregated nature of our education
system and polarised communities, for many young people entering
further or higher education is the first time that they encounter
people from different communities, ethnic identities, sexualities
etc. However, just meeting someone from a different community
is not enough to counteract 19 years of prejudice. Research has
highlighted the fact that even in further and higher education
students segment themselves in terms of who they socialise with,
where they live and even which colleges or campuses they choose
to attend. The two teacher education colleges St Marys and Stranmillis
have historically attracted students from particular communities
and little has changed since they academically came under the
auspices of Queen's University.
We believe that challenging prejudice has to
start in primary school, followed up in secondary school and continued
into further and higher education. While the new citizenship curriculum
does offer some opportunity to explore difference and diversity,
the proposed core religious curriculum reinforces difference,
particularly with respect to those of other religions and those
who are gay. Our experience in working with student teachers in
St Marys and Stranmillis has indicated that teachers are ill equipped
to deal with controversial issues in the classroom and can transmit
their own prejudices to the next generation. While student teachers
spend up to four years learning teaching skills, and their own
area of expertise, they currently spend only one day per year
examining issues of prejudice.
Even though students are key stakeholders within
colleges, there is no requirement through Section 75 to engage
them in training to fulfil the obligations to promote good relations,
as the requirements only extend to staff. Students are consultees
but often do not have the capacity to engage with the Section
75 process.
We don't believe that government is doing enough
to tackle prejudice, and the work that is being supported is often
around the "safer" prejudices such as racism rather
than homophobia. Currently the Department for Employment and Learning
(DEL) does not have a strategy to engage students in further and
higher education in diversity work. Our work has historically
been funded by the Department of Education, though their function
focuses on primary and secondary education. We would welcome the
opportunity to play a much more strategic role in partnership
with government to tackle prejudice on campus, but this does not
currently exist.
Many students are still suffering the consequences
of the conflict on our campuses, many of whom may need support
from Students' Unions and their parent institutions. Not all of
these individuals require counselling or financial help for example.
Nevertheless as researchers have noted:
"The public acknowledgement of their suffering,
and the provision of supportive networks or services for those
that need them is an important part of Northern Ireland's recovery
as a society" (Northern Ireland's Troubles—The Human
Cost, Marie-Therese Fay, Mike Morrissey and Marie Smyth, Pluto
Press and The Costs of the Troubles Study, 1999).
We believe that DEL could usefully explore with
victims groups and college student services providers how to develop
and provide this support on campus and to reach out to those disadvantaged
communities that have borne the brunt of the conflict. This sensitive
work needs to recognise that victims and survivors have specific
and different needs and that we should act as facilitators rather
than impose solutions in the student environment.
In addition, colleges should explore how to
develop the skills of social workers, teachers, doctors, lawyers
and other professionals in order to prepare them for the kinds
of effects the conflict and hate crimes may have had on their
clients and patients. College admission officers, student health
staff, Students' Union personnel and other student services practitioners
could also benefit from this awareness training. The issue of
commemorating the victims of the conflict on campus could also
be sensitively explored alongside the provision of more research
on the impact of the troubles on tertiary education provision.
As we continue the search for peace and reconciliation, hopefully
we can harness the skills and resources of our academic community
to make a real contribution to recognising the pain of our victims
and survivors.
We would like to recommend to the Committee
the following actions:
— The collection of specific data on
students as victims of hate crime.
— Special support mechanisms should
be considered by DEL and colleges to protect international students.
— Colleges and other tertiary education
stakeholders should consider the provision of extra campus security
and awareness raising campaigns to combat the growing threat of
hate crimes directed at students.
— More research on the impact of the
troubles on tertiary education provision.
— Colleges explore how future public
workers such as social workers, teachers, doctors etc can respond
to the specific needs of the victims of hate crimes.
March 2004
|
