Roma Cultural Mediation in a Selection of Irish Schools

Abstract

This report explores the role and impact of a Roma Cultural Mediator (RCM) working across four schools in Dublin’s North Inner City. Based on interviews, observations and focus groups with Roma children and families, school staff, Education Welfare Officers (EWOs) and School Completion Programme (SCP) personnel, the research offers an in-depth look at how cultural mediation supports school atendance, engagement and inclusion for Roma pupils in these schools. Roma communities in Ireland experience significant structural barriers in accessing education, including racism, housing instability, poverty, limited English proficiency and unfamiliarity with the Irish education system. These challenges are compounded by widespread antigypsyism, both systemic and interpersonal. The RCM role provides a critical link between families and schools, bridging linguistic, cultural and institutional gaps. Embedded within the SCP, the study found that the RCM is not a supplementary figure, but a central actor in facilitating access to education. Her work encompasses interpretation, system navigation, home visits, relationship-building, small group sessions with children and support during transitions from primary to post-primary education. She also plays a key role in liaising with EWOs, helping to avert breakdowns in communication that might otherwise lead to legal consequences for families due to non-atendance. One of the strongest findings of the research is the level of trust the RCM has earned within the Roma community. Despite not being Roma herself, her linguistic and cultural proximity, her longstanding involvement and her relational approach have led to high levels of confidence among families. This trust enables her to reach students and parents in ways that schools and statutory services often cannot. Participants highlighted the RCM’s flexible, relational approach and described her work as transformative. Teachers noted improvements in atendance and engagement, while children valued the opportunity to connect with someone who speaks their language, cares about them and understands their world, aligning quite clearly with the goals of the SCP. The RCM also supported children’s transitions to new schools, explained assessment processes to families, and acted as an informal educator, providing targeted support in language and social development. However, the study also found that the RCM operates under precarious conditions: part-time hours, short-term contracts and limited resources constrain her reach. Furthermore, when students transition to schools outside her SCP cluster, the support otien drops off, sometimes at the point when it is most needed. Key recommendations include formalising and expanding the RCM role, ensuring sustainable contracts and continuity of support across school transitions and recognising the pedagogical dimension of this form of school-based mediation work. The findings call for a shite in how cultural mediation is understood, as a vital part of the educautional infrastructure required for equity. This report concludes that Roma Cultural Mediation, when properly resourced, is a powerful mechanism for enabling inclusion. It offers not only support to Roma families, but also a mirror to the education system, revealing where policy and practice must change to become truly inclusive.