No arguing about your history. It's the present day that's a problem.
Posted on 08/05/2006 6:07:02 PM PDT by blam
Growing lack of English in schools
By Julie Henry, Education Correspondent
(Filed: 06/08/2006)
At least half the children in more than 1,000 primary schools in England do not have English as their first language.
New statistics show that six per cent of primaries and five per cent of secondaries have intakes where 50 per cent or more of pupils do not have English as their mother tongue.
In inner London, 50 per cent of primaries and more than a third of secondary schools are heading for, or already have, a majority of children with English as a second language.
The figures, published in response to a parliamentary question, show that some local authorities face a huge challenge in meeting language needs. They also demonstrate the extent to which "segregated" schools, a fear raised by Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, are becoming a reality.
Head teachers argue that more funding is required if the needs of both British-born children with ethnic-minority backgrounds and new immigrant children are to be met.
The £169 million-a-year ethnic minority achievement grant for extra second-language teaching has been described as woefully inadequate and failing to address the demand from eastern European arrivals.
A recent Ofsted report found that almost all the schools it analysed were forced to top up the grant from general school funds. In one, £206,445 - more than the grant itself - was spent from school coffers.
Ofsted has consistently praised head teachers for the way they cope with refugee and immigrant children. Inspections have found that schools are proficient at managing the admission of such children, particularly those in the inner cities.
However, David Bell, the former chief inspector of schools and now the permanent secretary at the Department for Education and Skills, has warned that children placed in schools at short notice who have a poor grasp of English could put pressure on specialist resources and disrupt the continuity of teaching.
Nearly 20 per cent of children in state schools are classified as being in a minority ethnic group, according to a departmental report published this year. The minority ethnic group school population has grown in number by an estimated fifth to a third since 1997, compared with a 2.3 per cent increase in the total number of pupils.
Hmmmmm...wonder what language they speak ? Couldn't be Arabic now could it ?
Eastern Europeans are the problem here?
Is "eastern European" now a polite euphemism for "Pakistani"?
Same thing is going on here in theUS.Se habla espanol?
50% of children today, means 50% of adults tomorrow, what is that old line about the last successful invasion of Britain being 1066?
and now for the lack of educating going on
What?!? That's unpossible!
" Is "eastern European" now a polite euphemism for "Pakistani"?"
Um, no. It means eastern European.
Where I live, about 20% of Primary school children are taught either totally or predominantly in another language from English.
Is that so? I was always under the impression that the bulk of immigration into Britain were "Asians" (i.e. Pakistanis). I didn't realize so many eastern Europeans were also immigrating to Britain.
Given how the British press seems reluctant to show Muslim immigrants in a bad light, I assumed that they were just being quick to point their fingers at eastern European immigrants' failure to learn English.
Well, I can't say I have any specific numbers. Just clarifying that no-one is going to use 'eastern European' to mean Pakistani.
I would guess that there would have been a lot of recent immigration from Poland and places like that (hence the use of 'arrivals' in the article) whereas most of the children of Pakistani/Indian/Bangladeshi ethnic origin in the Primary school system will be second or third generation British.
Yes we have no backbone at all. Any basic reading of history will show this fact.
Do I really need a sarcasm tag here?
No arguing about your history. It's the present day that's a problem.
Anybody have links to verify this? I have trouble believing it.
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