The intersection of school, diversity and intercultural dialogues: second generation Brazilians and Cape Verdeans in the Lisbon metropolitan area

Abstract

This paper focuses on schools in the inner city of the Lisbon metropolitan area and a suburban neighbourhood located in the municipality of Sintra, where second generation Brazilian and Cape Verdean students adhere to different meanings of diversity and intercultural dialogue. Their experiences and interpretations were examined more closely through the use of several methods: (1) a multi-level questionnaire which was directed at both students and parents, (2) a compilation of qualitative statements provided by students and parents and (3) a collection of qualitatively analysed statements from teachers and school board members. The results indicate there is a wide divergence of attitudes and perspectives among the different actors, showing a disparity of perspectives when addressing intercultural education. The conclusions drawn indicate that promoting intercultural dialogue is not a one-way street, but requires the development of several intertwined strategies in each of these different contexts and communities. The observed practices of teachers, students, and administrators fell short of the expected policies incorporating intercultural education, indicating that the main barrier for educating these second generation youth is the lack of professional commitment and dialogue between teachers, students and families. Recommendations to foster high-quality intercultural education are identified.

Keywords:

• Immigrant
• second generation
• education
• intercultural dialogue

Notes

1. Basic education in Portugal is organized into three cycles: cycle 1 (1st to 4th year – 6 to 10 years old); 2nd cycle (5th and 6th years – 11 to 12 years old); and 3rd cycle (7th, 8th and 9th years – 13 to 15 years old). Compulsory schooling is until 18 years of age.

2. Living Together as Equals in Dignity. (available at http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/intercultural/source/white%20paper_final_revised_en.pdf).

3. This refers to one of the fourth main bases for education in the XXI century (UNESCO 1997).

4. Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, 2005. (available in: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-

URL_ID=31038&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html).

5. The concept of native is used for individuals born in Portugal of Portuguese parents, while immigrant refers to an individual born in other country. The concept of second generation is used for children born in Portugal to at least one immigrant parent.

6. Groups of schools are ‘organizational units, with their own administrative structures and management and may include pre-school and one or more cycles of Basic Education from a common project’ (article 5, of the Decree Law 115/98, 4 May).

7. The upper age limit for compulsory education in Portugal is 18 years.

8. The number of students by origin of country is collected by the Statistical Office of the Studies and Planning of Education (GEPE), Ministry of Education, 2009–2010. Since nationality is used, we used the term ‘foreign student’.

9. All students in each school, independent of country of origin were engaged in the questionnaire.

10. For the 2nd generation students, where both parents are migrants from two different countries, the nationality of the mother was chosen to identify student origin.

11. Educational Project refers to a document in which each school defines its internal policies, describes its guidelines for educational activities and the ways in which these relate to national policies.