Difficulty with the English language is at the root of many of the problems experienced by the Chinese community in Northern Ireland. In many cases when a Chinese child arrives at school this may be the first occasion he/she will speak English, which very often results in underachievement or the child being equated with having a learning difficulty, when the problem is essentially linguistic.

With increasing numbers of Chinese children registering at schools in Northern Ireland, our hope is that the provision of English, as a second language, will become increasingly resourced, in order to meet the needs of this community. At present many teachers are not equipped with the skills necessary to deal with a child for whom English is a second language.

The needs of Chinese parents should also be addressed alongside the needs of their Children. Consideration needs to be given to parents who may be struggling themselves with English and how they may be supported in helping their children with their schoolwork.

It has been found that, young students are very often not accepted by their local peer groups because of their colour; as such school can become a very isolating experience.

The Chinese Welfare Association believes that the curriculum should actively challenge prejudice, racism, stereotyping and discrimination. The process of educating people to respect difference should start in the early years and permeate throughout the entire education system. Multicultural awareness and anti-racism training should become a compulsory part of all Teacher Training courses, so that teachers acquire more confidence and expertise to deal with sensitive issues such as racial bullying as well as specific language needs.