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State schools and Immigrant Children
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Nov 15 2007
Latest News >> International News

So, what effect is the arrival of immigrants having upon the Spanish educational system? It has been calculated that state schools cater for 86% of all immigrant children, whereas the private sector caters for the rest.

I have been asked, more than once, what I thought would be best for a foreign child: a private, British curriculum or just putting the kids straight into normal state schools. Their first schools year might not turn out very well, academically speaking , but they will be fully integrated before the year is out, and conversing in Spanish much better than their parents.

However, the high concentration of foreign pupils is a localized area – La Herradura, for example – is having negative effects upon the schooling system. It doesn’t matter whether it is the case of wealthy immigrants from Northern Europe or poor immigrants from North Africa or South and Central America- they tend to stick together and form communities. In places like the Costa Granadina, we can’t speak of ghettos, but in the case of Granada city, places like Zaidin or the Zona Northe, it is heading that way. The regional education authorities are worried by this phenomenon but are quite powerless to stop it evolving.

All state schools receive the same treatment, based on the school population – none really receive extra funds or staff to cope with high immigrant concentrations. If you take the case of Tablones (near Orgiva), you will find there are more foreign pupils than Spanish ones, whereas in the capital, IES Veleta and CP Miguel Hernandez have around 40% foreign students.

At present, the province of Granada has 6,300 foreign pupils, a figure that stood at only 2,123 less than four years ago.

Finally, although the majority of foreign pupils come from Morocco, Romania and Ecuador, they do not present such a language problems as Europeans especially the British: Hispano-Americans already speak the language and the Romanians & Moroccans pick the language up almost immediately. Many believe that there should not be separate schools for immigrants, as it is the beginning of segregation. Unfortunately, some parents are not willing to do what they expect their children to do: Integrate.

Story from Martin H.Myall of the Seaside Gazette – Costa Granada

Last changed: Nov 15 2007 at 5:35 PM