RECENT CUTS to the budget for language support are likely to have a disproportionate impact on schools with a high concentration of immigrant children, the ESRI has warned.
In the first national study of school provision for immigrant children, published yesterday, the economic think tank noted how education cuts were “likely to have negative consequences for newcomers and other vulnerable young people in the education system”.
Changes to the criteria for allocating language support teachers was “likely to disproportionately impact on those schools with a high concentration of newcomers”, it noted, while provision for immigrant children was also likely to be affected by more general measures, such as the reduced student-teacher ratio and the reduction of subsidies for school books.
Drawing on a survey of 1,200 primary and second-level schools, as well as detailed case studies of 12 schools, the report found that the great majority of second-level schools have at least one immigrant student, although newcomers make up a relatively small proportion of students – typically 2 to 9 per cent – within each one.
At primary level, in contrast, four in 10 schools have no immigrant children.
Newcomers were more likely to attend urban schools and those already catering for more disadvantaged student groups. This reflected “the interaction between residential patterns, availability of school places and school admission policies”, it concluded.
The majority of principals surveyed reported that achievement levels among immigrant children were at least as good as those among Irish students, although lack of language competence was seen as adversely affecting the progress of some.
“Newcomer students, especially those in second-level schools, are generally seen as hard-working, motivated about their schoolwork and as having high educational aspirations,” the report states.
Assessing social integration among newcomer students, the report notes that both teachers and students comment on some difficulties. Immigrants are often seen as socialising among themselves, with some reporting difficulties in making Irish friends. “In addition, some newcomers had experienced bullying on the grounds of nationality or ethnicity, but, as is the case with Irish children, were generally reluctant to report bullying incidents to school staff.”
Schools have adopted a range of approaches to language support, including withdrawing children for certain class periods, giving them intensive, separate tuition outside mainstream classes and giving the key role to class teachers.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Minister of State for Integration John Curran said he was glad to note that newcomer students may raise the standard in schools serving disadvantaged communities.
