New Translation Service for Schools

A new central service providing vital interpreting and translation services to schools with migrant children has been set up by the Province’s five education and library boards.

The Children and Young People’s Fund is providing £175,000 to run the service until March 2008 enabling schools to communicate directly with parents in their own language on a whole range of issues from initial enrolment interview to pastoral care and special needs statements.

The contracts for interpreting and translation services have been awarded to three companies after a European wide tendering process.  Flex Language Services at the University of Ulster, STEP Training and Learning in Dungannon and Applied Language from Huddersfield were the successful tenderers.

In the next few months the boards will also launch a multi-lingual website containing important and practical information for parents in fifteen of the most popular languages spoken here.

The head of the Curriculum Advisory and Support Service with the North Eastern Board, Ray Gilbert, is coordinating the five board co-operative approach to support children from ethnic minority backgrounds living in Northern Ireland.

“We are trying to support schools as they interact with parents who do not speak any English in order to ensure that their children can integrate into school life and gain full access to the Northern Ireland education system,” he explained.  “Children from ethnic minority backgrounds need additional support to help them achieve and learn.  This translation service forms a significant initial part of a regionalised support service which the education and library boards will operate jointly pending the creation of the new Education and Skills Authority (ESA),” he said.

Schools can access the new translation service by calling Applied Language on 0870 2250 283 and the interpreting service at Flex on 9036 6546 and STEP on 8772 9002.