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National identities have been challenged by European integration, globalisation, migration and regionalisation. More recently, there has been a resurgence of nationhood and national identity which begs the question how education systems, and curricula in particular, are responding to this. This article explores how national identity is reflected in history, geography and civic education curricula in France and Ireland. More specifically, it examines how national, European and international aspects are intertwined in these state curricula. This question is explored through a case study of curriculum units and subunits as well as discourses of how identity is being promoted in the curriculum. Our analysis highlights that French curricula privilege national topics, especially in history and civic education, whereas Irish curricula veer between national, European and international (global) notions. Our analysis explores the extent to which macro-political discourses around national identity are reflected in the shaping of the subject curricula in two countries. While the article focuses on France and Ireland, the discussions are also of interest to other jurisdictions regarding the civic expectations and role of schools in promoting national (or other) identities.

This article presents results of a cross-cultural comparison of trainer and trainee attitudes towards a variety of diversity issues, notably attitudes towards non-national trainees and those from other ethnic, religious and racial groups. Cross-cultural comparisons are made in the six European countries studied: France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Spain and the UK. The sample included 469 respondents (273 trainees and 196 trainers). There were consistent findings showing that trainees were more positive in their attitudes to cultural diversity, and specifically more tolerant and accepting of non-national and ethnically diverse fellow trainees than were their trainers. These findings largely corroborate those obtained from secondary school students and their teachers in the wider study. The results are discussed in light of country differences in relation to migration patterns and interpreted in light of contact theory. We also highlight implications for social inclusion and education and training policies across Europe.

This is the first empirical study to explore the ways different types of primary school in the Republic of Ireland integrate children from diverse religious backgrounds. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with principals and teachers, the article focuses on the role of ethos and leadership in the integration processes in one denominational Catholic and two multi-denominational schools. We compare school ethos and enrolment policies, as well as pedagogy and curricular design in religious education across the three types of schools. While the study is carried out in Ireland, it is also of interest to other jurisdictions where schools are faced with increasing religious diversity among their student population.

This article examines the post-school pathways of Russian-speaking students in Ireland after completing secondary education; the importance of personal and institutional factors in shaping their transition process, and the role of parents and schools in achieving the post-school goals. The article draws on the qualitative exploratory study of 14 Russian-speaking migrant-origin students, to see how this group progresses beyond secondary schooling in the Irish education system. The study found that all participants had high educational aspirations. Most students achieved their desired first-choice post-school pathway, despite coming from a different linguistic and cultural background. The article points to a range of factors, which affect the post-school transition of migrant young people. The findings are discussed in light of Ireland's liberal welfare state model with neo-liberal tendencies where those in positions of power can buy into the advantages of the more neo-liberal side of the regime.

This article explores the ethos of multi-denominational primary schools in the context of increasing cultural and religious diversity in the Republic of Ireland. In particular, it investigates how the official ethos is played out in day-to-day school interactions. The mixed-methods study draws on data collected from 11 community national schools focussing on the perspectives of principals, teachers and pupils. The data indicates while schools' formal ethos sets out guiding principles and standards, a closer look reveals the specific identity of each individual school within the broader formal framework. The article presents a new perspective on school ethos research by exploring the extent to which it guides the promotion of diversity and tolerance in a multi-faith context. While the study is carried out in Ireland, it is also of interest to other jurisdictions where schools are faced with increasing religious diversity among their student population.

Childhood studies place emphasis on children's agency, their ability to understand their own world and act upon it. Children actively participate in meaningful social interactions in both formal and informal settings. Considering recent large-scale migration in Ireland, it is vital to understand how children interact in an increasingly diverse world where they encounter cultural and religious difference. This article draws on a mixed-methods case study exploring religious education (RE) in community national schools (CNS), a new model of multi-denominational primary schools in Ireland. The results from focus groups with 10- to 12-year-old children show the role of agency in developing religious knowledge and forming inter-ethnic friendships, and the crucial role schools play in empowering pupils to interact with an increasingly diverse society.

This article seeks to provide an insight into the role of school principals dealing with newly multicultural and multi-faith student populations by drawing on a mixed-methods study on state-funded multi-denominational community national schools in Ireland. The study explores the extent to which school principals address the increasing social and cultural diversity in their schools by helping to establish inclusive and supportive school environments. The study identifies the main agents in shaping the school culture, and how the multi-denominational ethos is experienced by students. The article endeavours to provide academics and practitioners with a better understanding of the importance of leadership in shaping school climate that promotes a sense of belonging for all the students.

Widening participation programmes aim to increase the progression of students from low socio-economic status (SES) groups to higher education. This research proposes that the human capabilities approach is a good justice-based framework within which to consider the social and cultural capital processes that impact upon the educational capabilities of young people from low SES groups. It presents a case study which examines the developing capability set of Irish students from a representative sample of schools participating in a university-based widening participation outreach programme aimed at increasing social and cultural capital constructs. Qualitative analysis is presented from four schools; four student focus groups with 22 student participants, and 15 individual student interviews. Findings focus on the developing capabilities of autonomy, hope, voice and identity, as well as on the relationship between specific widening participation activities and the developing capability set. The findings highlight the development of college-focused knowledge and how this impacts upon students' aspiration to participate in higher education. The idea of 'widening capability' is discussed in relation to the potential of the capability approach to contribute an additional dimension to a mainly neoliberal policy rhetoric, which emphasises the market value of higher-education participation. In doing so, it explores how widening participation activities can influence the widening capability set of low SES students, and its relationship with what the students deem to be "a life of value."

Growing secularisation of the population and the arrival of new culturally and religiously diverse migrants are posing new challenges to schools in the Republic of Ireland (Ireland). These challenges are particularly acute in Irish primary schools, the majority of which are under Catholic patronage. Recent changes have necessitated an extensive consultation process about how to accommodate religious diversity and have resulted in some important policy changes. This article contributes to an ongoing debate about state-run denominational schools and the place of Religious Education in these. While set in the Irish context, the article is also relevant for educators and academics in other jurisdictions as it describes recent policy developments and steps taken in addressing cultural and religious diversity in schools.

Migration to Ireland is continuing, albeit at a much slower pace, and migrant children continue to have a strong presence in Irish schools. How well these students integrate into the Irish education system depends, at least partially, on the support measures the schools have put in place for them. This article draws on the results of a large-scale empirical study on academic and social support measures available in Irish secondary schools, and contributes to the debate on challenges, in terms of inclusivity, posed by immigration into Ireland. The article discusses approaches taken at government and school level in addressing the needs of new arrivals, offering a comparative perspective of various support models in the EU. While there is a growing body of research on the experiences of migrant children and young people in schools, few previous studies have drawn on a nationally representative data set and focused specifically on the support measures migrant students can have access to.

This article examines the extent to which citizens of migrant origin are included within discourses of national identity in civic education curricula in England, France and Ireland. We explore how much space is given to citizens of migrant origin in discourses of national identity in civic education curricula and how they fit with central values normalized by a higher degree of recognition in schools. Although early immigration systems assumed that incorporation of migrants into the national polity would take place via socialization in education, the failure to include citizens of migrant origin in the contemporary "imagined community" articulated in civic education discourses risks marginalizing some citizens which gives rise to a sovereignty gap. The disparity between legal and cultural belonging of some individuals in Western Europe presents a major challenge for education systems which are tasked with making national identity discourse resonate with a globalized citizenry. The study found that despite commonalities around the promotion of human rights and democracy, civic education curricula diverge with regard to representation of religion. Moreover, nationalistic aspects of the French model contrast with a multicultural, and recently global, approach to citizenship education in England and the promotion of European citizenship in Ireland. (Contains 8 notes.)

Using Bourdieusian class analysis, this mixed-methods study examines the nuances in the upward mobility of Filipino nurse migrants in the Republic of Ireland as they move from the Philippines to Ireland. The article illustrates how the transnational connections of nurses create cleavages among them as a micro-class category in the host state and argues how the social class position of the family continues to impact on the class conditions of migrants – especially those from lower income backgrounds. In contrast, the financial independence of higher income families leads to better life chances for nurses allowing them to invest in additional economic capital, pursue personal projects and improve their symbolic capital. This can be described as the social reproduction of inequality on a transnational scale, which has repercussions on the present and future class conditions of migrants. The article contributes to discussions on class conditions and mobility from a transnational frame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the economic and family experiences of first- and second-generation Hong Kong Chinese in the Republic of Ireland. Although they are the earliest Chinese group in Ireland, their lived experiences have been overshadowed by a large influx of mainland Chinese since the end of the 1990s. This is the first empirical study in Ireland that makes the complex lived experiences of this migrant group visible. Their cross-generational economic performance and value of family is illustrated in diaspora theory. The findings are drawn from two sources: qualitative interviews with forty-one interviewees across two generations, and documentary research, including official records. Besides economic contributions to Irish society, the data highlights the complex and interrelated family issues. The high level of cohesion in Hong Kong Chinese families was reflected in their family views. The study also contributes to understandings of new diverse global migratory movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the long presence of migrant communities, Ireland was only transformed to a net-receiving immigration nation in 1996, and is currently experiencing net emigration in the wake of a sharp economic downturn. Debates about immigrant incorporation and educational responses are still at a relatively early stage. This study, which forms part of a larger project, set out to explore the role of schools and curricula in developing citizenship and the conception of Irish identity implicit therein. The article draws on citizenship curricula as well as some textbooks used in citizenship lessons. It argues that the curriculum at primary level emphasizes diversity and active citizenship in a plural society to a greater extent than the curriculum at secondary level. Moreover, there are discrepancies between the progressive rhetoric of policy documents and the content of textbooks and other curriculum material. This raises important questions of inclusivity in a still Catholic-dominated education system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]