About Yellow Flag
The Yellow Flag Programme provides a practical series of 8 steps that brings issues of interculturalism, equality and diversity into the whole-school programme and allows schools to apply them to the day to day running of the school. It works with students, staff, management, parents and wider community groups so that issues of diversity and equality are not merely seen as "scho
ol subjects" but can be understood and taken outside the school setting into everyone's personal lives. In parallel with the Green Schools, the Yellow Flag Diversity in Schools is both a practical programme and an award scheme, therefore; on completing these steps, and being assessed externally, the school is awarded its "Yellow Flag" in recognition of its work in promoting diversity & inclusion. The award is publicised locally, and the school can fly its flag with pride and use the logo on its official correspondence. Steps of the Yellow Flag Programme:
1. Intercultural and Anti-Racism Training for Staff and Management
2. Going beyond the School’s Walls: Engaging with the Community
3. Establishing a Diversity Committee
4. Conducting an Intercultural Review
5. Formulating an Action Plan for a Diverse School
6. Monitoring and Evaluation and Information Dissemination
7. Curriculum work
8. Production of a diversity code and anti racist policy for the school
Rationale for the Irish Traveller Movement’s development of the Yellow Flag programme
It is widely acknowledged that the Irish education landscape has significantly changed over the last number of years and this has presented schools with many challenges as well as opportunities. Despite there being a commitment at policy level relating to these challenges, practical progress in the area of intercultural education has been slow. Many so-called initiatives remain simply statements of intent and put unrealistic expectations on schools and teachers to deliver interculturalism without the necessary supports. The ITM is committed to developing modern models of best practice in order to support genuinely inclusive education in Ireland and has therefore developed the Yellow Flag programme which focuses on practical intercultural achievements as well as providing the essential formal and informal framework to the schools themselves. The Irish Traveller Movement believes there is huge scope for developing the Yellow Flag programme into a mainstream national programme, which would have a long-standing legacy, promoting equality and diversity. Contact Details:
For more information on becoming a Yellow Flag school and or to get involved in supporting the programme to be mainstreamed contact the Irish Traveller Movement at 01-6796577 or email [email protected] or go to www.yellowflag.ie
