Survey of immigrant children reveals school trend

A NATIONAL survey that included three schools in Dublin 7 suggests that large numbers of immigrant children may be ending up in different schools than their white Irish counterparts.

The Integration Centre survey found two of the three Northside schools had 30 and 48 per cent of immigrant children while the third school had just eight per cent.

Killian Forde, CEO of The Integration Centre believes the survey highlights a worrying pattern.

“A trend has become entrenched where immigrant children go to certain schools and white Irish to others,

? he said.

“this clustering of immigrant children is due to enrolment policies connected to religion. A large number of schools use religion as the decisive factor in enrolment when places are limited, and this creates this channelling of students to specific schools.

?

Mr Forde is calling for reform in school enrolment policies and a national framework of equitable rules created by the Department of Education that would be enforced by each school.

“There are a number of reasons why the clustering of children in this fashion is both bad for the children and for society at large; it creates pockets of diversity leading to division and discord in society.

?

The Integration Centre has begun a campaign called

‘Put Education First’ which calls on the Government to change clauses in current equality legislation that it believes allows schools to discriminate against pupils on the basis of religion.

“It is often said that immigration to Ireland is a relatively new phenomenon, and therefore we as a country are still finding our feet in reacting to it,

? Mr Forde continued.

“However, these figures show that a

‘reaction’ is firmly in place and it is one of exclusion.

?

The survey was carried out in three sets of schools in Dublin, Cork and Galway, all in the same catchment area for pupils.