Description
Schools of Sanctuary Ireland is an initiative of Places of Sanctuary. Set up in 2016 and linked to a national UK movement, Places of Sanctuary is a network of communities across the country who come together to promote a culture of welcome to migrants and new communities seeking safety and sanctuary (communities, towns, cities, schools, higher education institutions and so on). The project Schools of Sanctuary is focused on extending the reach of Places of Sanctuary to school settings, involving schools and promoting their becoming proactive in developing a culture of welcome, following Places of Sanctuary principles (Learn, Act, Share). Schools of Sanctuary are schools which are committed to promoting a culture of welcome and inclusion for people seeking international protection. It aims at embedding intercultural awareness and understanding within school curricula and activities, developing intercultural skills and promoting safe and positive cross-cultural learning environments. The project is funded by Tony Ryan Trust, Social Inclusion Fund, Community Foundation, and AMI.
- Access to compulsory education
- Children complete compulsory education
- Children maintain their cultural identity while adopting new cultural values and intercultural competences
- Children remain in (formal) education beyond compulsory levels / Access to (formal) non-compulsory education
- Children's academic skills
- Children's competence in host language
- Children's life satisfaction / happiness
- Children's sense of belonging
- Friends and peers (bridges)
- Friends and peers (support)
- Institutions
- Teachers
- Types & levels of (formal) non-compulsory education attended
Evaluation ex post
Schools are awarded Sanctuary Status on assessment of their applications for Sanctuary Status. Resources are made available to interested schools to enable them to achieve Sanctuary Status. Application and audit documentation is available on the link below.
The Schools of Sanctuary initiative is an ongoing initiative and there is a constant updating of information/materials/resources on their website.
The publication "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes" details the origins and development of Places of Sancturary, of which Schools of Sanctuary are a subset
https://www.eani.org.uk/school-management/intercultural-education-service-ies/schools-of-sanctuary/school-of-sanctuary
Projects’ deliverables
Resources and examples of School of Sanctuary initiatives are available at the project site.
Resources initiatives and developments in existing Schools of Sanctuary are shared with the wider Places of Sanctuary movement. Importantly, schools aiming to achieve sanctuary status can learn from existing good practices and develop and adapt the project to their own context and circumstances.
Reproducibility
Materials available about initiatives and programmes developed in different schools are posted on the Places of Sanctuary Ireland website and can be considered by schools in developing further initiatives and making applications to be recognised as School of Sanctuary.
Motivation for the submission
Schools of Sanctuary form this submission because of their ethos of welcome across all levels of formal education and across the island of Ireland and further afield. As an international movement their foundations of openness and sharing of knowledge and practices has immense potential to develop cultures of welcome, critical education fora where dynamic integration can be fostered and flourish.
Additional comments
Schools of Sanctuary, being linked to the community-based initiative, offers both a means of promoting intercultural awareness and welcome in schools, while also strengthening links between school and community. Thus, it contributes to building positive connections between children’s educational experiences, parents’ involvement and understanding of the educational system and experiences of their children. Through these connections, the resources of community and those of schools can be maximised to the benefit of migrant children, their families and the wider society.
