NI Catholic schools top choice for immigrants

Families bypassing their nearest school in favour of a faith option

Two thirds of immigrant children in the North are attending Catholic schools, with families bypassing their nearest school in favour of a faith option.

More than 4,000 pupils from overseas were enrolled in Catholic primary schools in the North last year, who mainly came from traditionally Catholic countries. Polish children make up the largest group at 2,500 pupils, followed by Lithuanian and Portuguese pupils.

There were 6,795 ‘newcomer’ pupils – a term which refers to children who do not have a language in common with the teacher – at primary-age in the last academic year. Of these, 4,108 attended 384 Catholic maintained primary schools, while 2,296 attended a similar number of schools in the state-controlled sector.

Gerry Murphy, northern secretary of the INTO union, said schools in the Catholic maintained sector have developed over the last decade, adapting quickly to accommodate and integrate newcomer children despite diminishing resources.

“This is something that should be recognised by the Department of Education. It is clear from the upsurge in racist attacks in recent times that additional resources need to be directed towards educating not only our young people but society more broadly as to the positive benefits that migrant populations bring to a host society,” he said.