The Irish Mail on Sunday

RTÉ presenter helps draft anti-racism policy for all schools

Emer O’Neill draws on her own experience to encourage inclusion in our classrooms

- By Niamh Walsh GROUP SHOWBUSINE­SS EDITOR niamh.walsh@mailonsund­ay.ie

TEACHER and presenter Emer O’Neill is drawing on her experience growing up as the only person of colour in her school to help a new Government drive to stamp out racism in the classroom.

The talented Today Show host was asked by Education Minister Norma Foley for her input to help inform a new anti-racism module that is being drawn up for schools across the country.

Emer, who grew up in Bray, Co. Wicklow, told the Irish Mail on Sunday, ‘I went to a school with 800 students, and I was the only person of colour in the whole school’.

Now the educator wants to use her media profile and personal experience­s of racism to be a vocal advocate for inclusion.

Speaking about the initiative, she said: ‘I helped write a module for schools. I am really grateful for that. It was set up with both the schools’ and teachers’ agreement.

‘Myself and my colleagues from the group wrote about adopting a policy for schools. Next week I’m having a meeting with the steering committee under the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, to give advice on how they can improve the anti-bullying action plan that they have in place because there isn’t enough detail on the antiracism section and we don’t have access to an anti-racism policy.’

Emer, 36, said every school in the country should have an anti-racism policy, adding, ‘At the moment that’s not the case at all, across the board really. So that’s been a huge step forward to be able to get in contact with the minister and try and make some changes there. I’d be advising the steering committee on ways to improve their anti-racism sections within that and including the anti-racism policy that we created’.

Speaking as a teacher, a daughter of a Nigerian father and an Irish mother, and a parent of two young biracial children with husband Seán, Emer said it’s ‘crazy’ that a formal anti-racism policy has not yet been institutio­nalised in Irish schools.

‘You’ve got a policy for everything, but there’s no anti-racism policy. And it’s kind of crazy to think there isn’t because anywhere there are people there should be a policy in place.’

Her contributi­on to the antiracism initiative is the latest twist in what has been a very hectic 24 months for the Today Show host. Since taking a two-year sabbatical from teaching, Emer has found herself taking turns as a TV presenter and author. And now she is about to appear in a new six-part RTÉ documentar­y series before returning to her old job as a PE teacher.

‘I’ve been on a career break for the last few years – it’s been madness,’ she said.

Last year the then unknown Emer was unveiled as stand-in co-host of the Today Show alongside veteran broadcaste­r Dáithí Ó Sé.

‘That was such a “pinch-me” moment,’ she said. ‘What an opportunit­y I had, out of nowhere, to get to do something like that. To go from the classroom onto national TV and to be given the opportunit­y to present alongside Dáithí – it was surreal.’

She said her TV opportunit­y also proved a platform to promote diversity and inclusion on-screen.

‘It was really great. I had so many people message me, especially parents of coloured or mixed-race children tell me that their children were really inspired to see someone that looks like them on the television,’ she said proudly.

Emer was also one of the pandemic teachers-turned-presenters who helmed RTÉ’s Home School Hub, which provided a launch pad for more TV roles.

The latest of these is Keep It Up, a new documentar­y promoting girls’ involvemen­t in sport, as studies show that more than half of girls drop out of sport by the time they reach the age of 14 and are three times more likely to quit than boys.

In the show, Emer – a former Irish basketball champion – brings together nine teenage girls who either never played sports or have given up, and follows them as they engage or re-engage, getting their take on everything from puberty, bullying and sport to smelly dressing rooms and spray tan.

Emer said: ‘We are focusing on girls in sport and to promote women in sport and improve equality across the board.’

Emer has loved her busy ‘hiatus’, but plans to ‘go back teaching’.

She said: ‘I need the classroom. I will go back. There’s nothing in the pipeline that’s going to tempt me away from going back to school.’

‘I was the only person of colour in a school of 800’

‘Policy for everything except anti-racism

 ?? ?? goals: Teacher/TV presenter Emer O’Neill
goals: Teacher/TV presenter Emer O’Neill

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