One in four minority ethnic school students who took part in a survey on racism said they experienced racism at least once a month, and most experienced it once a week or more.
Publishing a report based on the findings of its survey, the Irish Second-Level Students' Union (ISSU) has called for clear and accessible reporting mechanisms in schools for racist incidents when they occur.
The ISSU says it is the largest study ever conducted on racism in Irish secondary schools, with 3,655 teen students participating.
It was commissioned by the ISSU and co-authored by researchers Dr Gordon Ogutu and Dr Lucy Michael, and former ISSU Equality Officer, Bel Aghedo.
The survey found a significant underreporting of racist incidents to schools due to students' fear of reprisal, scepticism about effective intervention, and the belief that incidents are not taken seriously.
"Minority ethnic students were more likely than other students to consider that reporting incidents would make the situation worse," the report states.
Just 15% of students who participated said they had reported racist incidents they had witnessed. These were students from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds. Many expressed concerns about the casual use of racial slurs and the lack of consequences for racist behaviour in schools.
Publishing the findings, the union said racism negatively impacted the self-esteem and sense of belonging of minority ethnic students.
"Many minority ethnic students reported feeling excluded and not fully accepted as Irish, despite being born in Ireland or having citizenship," it said.
It criticised the lack of adequate responses from school administrations which "exacerbates the issue".
Calling for action to be taken, the ISSU said: "Many teachers and school staff lack training in multicultural education and addressing discrimination. There are no official records of peer-to-peer racist incidents in Irish schools, and statistics on racial discrimination by school staff against students are not collected by any statutory organisation.
"This lack of data collection impedes responses to the problem."
Students who took part in the survey called for increased awareness and education about racism, including comprehensive discussions on what constitutes racism and clear guidelines on how to report incidents.
The ISSU has called for a more inclusive school culture that celebrates diversity and respects cultural differences.
"This includes creating an environment where all students feel valued and accepted, regardless of their racial or ethnic background," it said.
"We hope to see nationwide action to address the findings of our research," ISSU Equality Officer Valeriia Stepanenko, said.
"The evidence is clear, students need clear and accessible reporting mechanisms for racist incidents when they occur."
