Primary Schools without foreign children???

Snowman123

This is quite a controversial question.
I have a son who I need to enrol in a school shortly. I would ideally like to send him to an all boys’ Catholic school. But, as we now live in Balbriggan there is no such school.

There are local mixed school that my nieces and nephews attend and I have been told that the classes are 50% Irish kids and 50% foreign kids. I don’t have a problem with foreigners and I am by no means racist, but they hold the whole class back.

Is the only way of getting around this sending him to a private school? Or an Irish school? I don’t want him to be held back by other kids who cant speak the language.
I just want him to have the best education available.

I think private school is the answer but my OH disagrees and says he hates everything about private schools are he believes they are very elitist. But what other option do we have?

MagicMarker

*sigh*

Was there a report in the paper on how kids are generally really dumb if they share a class with a foreigner?

Dades

Snowman123 wrote: »

There are local mixed school that my nieces and nephews attend and I have been told that the classes are 50% Irish kids and 50% foreign kids.

Do you know that their education is being hampered by foreign kids in the class?

I'm not challenging you, I'm curious.

seamus

Is refusing to send your child to a mixed-race school not similarly "elitist"?

The meedja have been going on about mixed-race schools causing Irish kids to lose out, but by all accounts I've heard, it works out well and the only kids who really have trouble are those who arrived in Ireland when they were older; 8 or afterwards.
Children who were born in Ireland, pick up the English language very quickly, even if it's not spoken at home. Remember that it's on TV, it's in the streets, it's everywhere.

How about you talk to your family about their kids and how they're getting on, instead of relying on your pre-concevied notions of how it works?

Nevyn

You do your research like any other parent about what school are in your area
and those you are willing to travel to, get copies of the enrollemment policies aske them
quesions about class sizes ect and see what you can get him into and then then take your pick of that.

Or you can always home school him.

Snowman123

typo

Snowman123

They are not “pre-conceived” notions. My brother has to work ahead on all the class work because they class have been consistently falling behind. His child is now 9. The class rarely get through any of their schoolbooks by the end of term.

Also, the Irish Times published recently published a suggestion from the Teachers Union that there should be language assistants in schools to stop children from falling behind. That would lead me to believe that the teachers themselves recognise that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. This idea was lambasted by the Department of Education. The department believed that that they would be creating segregated education system. It seems to me the Department of Education is playing things very ‘politically correct’ and it seems they not taking on realties of the Irish Education system in 2009.

smelltheglove

Snowman123 wrote: »

They are not “pre-conceived” notions. My brother has to work ahead on all the class work because they class have been consistently falling behind. His child is now 9. The class rarely get through any of their schoolbooks by the end of term.

Also, the Irish Times published recently published a suggestion from the Teachers Union that there should be language assistants in schools to stop children from falling behind. That would lead me to believe that the teachers themselves recognise that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. This idea was lambasted by the Department of Education. The department believed that that they would be creating segregated education system. It seems to me the Department of Education is playing things very ‘politically correct’ and it seems they not taking on realties of the Irish Education system in 2009.

I wouldnt believe everything you read, I was recently misquoted in a newspaper!

Could there be an issue with the teacher of your brothers child. I changed my daughters school after junior infants when I was concerned about the lack of work, how I was doing more work with her than the teacher and the teachers parent teacher meeting gave me the impression she did not know my child at all. When my daughter went to a new school, huge amount foreign, within 2 weeks she had learnt more than she had done in a full year in the previous school.

byhookorbycrook

text books are an aid, so if they are not finished ,it does not mean work is left uncovered, there is a much stronger emphasis on oral/group/paired work in the revised curriculum.

RealEstateKing

I can say that in my experience it's the opposite way around: The foreign kids were always far more eager to learn, respectful and disciplined than the Irish ones. Especially ones from poorer countries like the Phillipines. They WANT to learn, and they will work hard to do it. Most Irish kids nowadays are dumb and lazy from what Ive seen.

Lillyella

I'd be the same as the OP to be honest.

I'd prefer my child went to a school with mainly Irish children, rather than children whose first language may not necessarily be English.

Catari Jaguar

Snowman123 wrote: »

This is quite a controversial question.
I have a son who I need to enrol in a school shortly. I would ideally like to send him to an all boys’ Catholic school. But, as we now live in Balbriggan there is no such school.

There are local mixed school that my nieces and nephews attend and I have been told that the classes are 50% Irish kids and 50% foreign kids. I don’t have a problem with foreigners and I am by no means racist, but they hold the whole class back.

Is the only way of getting around this sending him to a private school? Or an Irish school? I don’t want him to be held back by other kids who cant speak the language.
I just want him to have the best education available.

I think private school is the answer but my OH disagrees and says he hates everything about private schools are he believes they are very elitist. But what other option do we have?

*Jaw drops* :eek::eek::eek::eek: I am actually dumbfounded at this. :mad::mad::mad:

Maybe you should home school him and keep him away from all "foreigners" and girls until he is 21. And you know, you would NEVER make him elitist...

Orion

Snowman123 wrote: »

They are not “pre-conceived” notions. My brother has to work ahead on all the class work because they class have been consistently falling behind. His child is now 9. The class rarely get through any of their schoolbooks by the end of term.

Also, the Irish Times published recently published a suggestion from the Teachers Union that there should be language assistants in schools to stop children from falling behind. That would lead me to believe that the teachers themselves recognise that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. This idea was lambasted by the Department of Education. The department believed that that they would be creating segregated education system. It seems to me the Department of Education is playing things very ‘politically correct’ and it seems they not taking on realties of the Irish Education system in 2009.

Yes they are preconceived notions. You have automatically assumed that the kids the TUI are talking about are Irish. They are talking about the non-English speaking kids!

Snowman123 wrote:

I don’t have a problem with foreigners and I am by no means racist, but

Ah - the all excusing 'but'. :rolleyes:

Snowman123 wrote:

I just want him to have the best education available.

Did you consider that the best education available is one that includes multiple cultures and backgrounds? And that a school with mixed pupils will have to cater for that type of education? Today my 5 year olds learned about Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks - in Junior Infants. Sending him to an "all boys’ Catholic school" is not the way to go imo.

Críochnaithe

Two of my work colleagues made a similar remark to me about non-English speaking children at their children's schools holding their own children back. One colleague is from Zambia and the other is from Slovakia - are they racist?

iwo

Críochnaithe wrote: »

Two of my work colleagues made a similar remark to me about non-English speaking children at their children's schools holding their own children back. One colleague is from Zambia and the other is from Slovakia - are they racist?

No - they are unintelligent...

iwo

Snowman123 wrote: »

This is quite a controversial question.
I have a son who I need to enrol in a school shortly. I would ideally like to send him to an all boys’ Catholic school. But, as we now live in Balbriggan there is no such school.

There are local mixed school that my nieces and nephews attend and I have been told that the classes are 50% Irish kids and 50% foreign kids. I don’t have a problem with foreigners and I am by no means racist, but they

Eeeeeee yes U r racist... And your arguments are silly.

Ludo

I don't actually consider the OP racist. Maybe the OP is just not an expert in education like most of us? I won't pretend to know enough about how schools with a large non-english speaking number of children manage to offer a valid meaningful opinion on the subject. I can understand where both sides of the argument offered here are coming from but as I say I am no expert (and indeed most people offering opinions here are probably not also).

Can you visit the school and chat with the teachers directly as Thaedydal suggested? Other parents who have children attending the school or similar situations in other schools?

I certainly would not rely on any advice I recieve here about education as this parenting forum has recently turned into a religious v secular education discussion with people all offering their own opinions based on their experiences as a child from what I can see (myself included) and those experiences are probably no reflection on how schools operate today.

daelight

Having gone through hell Ireland schooling system (for having a polite english accent, MATE) I can tell you this sort of person is your 'average joe' parent.

My parents are Irish, they returned to Eire in the 90's. Was treated like a bastard child in the small town and they had a stressful time just enrolling me into a school (the catholic run schools wouldn't allow me) They didn't have any good contacts with any GAA bloke I guess...

I won't go into any detail about the 6-odd year ordeal but even though I left the school system without any quals or friends (it effects yer health you know) I managed to become successfully happy outside of that cead mille a bollix hovel country of yours.. hurrah!!

Good luck to ye and your precious freckled offspring.

ebmma

Lillyella wrote: »

I'd be the same as the OP to be honest.

I'd prefer my child went to a school with mainly Irish children, rather than children whose first language may not necessarily be English.

Most foreigners want exactly the same thing.
They want their child to go to the best school with more Irish kids so s/he can have good education and learn language quicker.

Nevyn

We will have less of the name calling, if you can not contribite to this discussion in a constructive manner do not bother posting, failing to do that and the mods will have to restrict your posting here.

ebmma

Thaedydal wrote: »

We will have less of the name calling, if you can not contribite to this discussion in a constructive manner do not bother posting, failing to do that and the mods will have to restrict your posting here.

was that for me? :eek:

Nevyn

That warning was for anyone reading this thread, I have alreaded issued an infraction.
If there was an issue with any one of your posts ebmma you would have gotten a warning or an infraction pm. This can be an inflamatory topic and I do not want to have ban people or lock the thread.

If you have any futher comments or questions please direct them to me or any of my
parenting co mods rather then posting off topic and derailing the thread, thanks.

dollyk

well down here in the country, as my ma called it , the schools have classes for children that came into the country at a late stage ie five six seven, tbh they catch up very quick and are as most say a whole lot more willing to learn than most of the irish kids who take edcucation for granted, as i did too when young..its also fun for the children to learn about different cultures, my son 12 can speak lots of polish :eek: better than irish, pml...so its all good.mind you i have reared six , most adults so ive changed and mellowed, but maybe years ago i wouldnt be like that with my first born ANGEL:P

RealEstateKing

RealEstateKing wrote: »

I can say that in my experience it's the opposite way around: The foreign kids were always far more eager to learn, respectful and disciplined than the Irish ones. Especially ones from poorer countries like the Phillipines. They WANT to learn, and they will work hard to do it. Most Irish kids nowadays are dumb and lazy from what Ive seen.

It appears to be ok to make racist comments, once you're talking about Irish kids.......subsitute Black or African for Irish in the above line, and see the reaction you would get.

Nevyn

dursey if you have an issue with a post report it.

Orion

Deleted User wrote: »

It appears to be ok to make racist comments, once you're talking about Irish kids.......subsitute Black or African for Irish in the above line, and see the reaction you would get.

While it was a gross generalisation I can see where RealEstateKing is coming from. In a lot of areas (particularly disadvantaged areas) education is not seen as important or prioritised at home with the resulting lack of discipline/attention in school. I wouldn't call the kids lazy and certainly not dumb - it's a classic case of 'blame the parents'. Just because a kid doesn't pay attention in school doesn't make that child dumb.

[edit]Sorry Thaed - we posted at the same time - feel free to remove my post if it's infractious

IsThatSo?

I am delighted that my child attends school with so called "foreign" kids. They don't hold him back at all, on the contrary, he has an interest in the world in general and knows about the countries his friends are from. The school my child attends celebrates the diversity, in class they learned how to say hello and goodbye in all the languages of the children I think thats great.

These "foreign" kids, a lot of them Irish born I might add, get extra help with english and reading, if needed. Two parents I know (I have become friendly with the mothers of my sons friends) had to ask for their children not to be sent to the extra help classes as they felt their children were doing well and the assistance could be better used for other children.

My sister teaches "foreign" kids in small groups to assist with english and its mostly project work they do to encourage spoken english. Having spoken to her about it and she says that its really only the older children have difficulty. Any that start out in junior infants usually do well. A teacher will always have to cater for the slowest learing child, regardless of their first language.

I have to admit to finding some of the attitudes here offensive. We, as a nation, have a history of emmigration. At times Irish would have been treated badly abroad, at other times well. Given that most Irish people have relatives abroad I do feel we should be more open to having other nationalities in our education system. Our relatives abroad get educated, no??

It is a huge advantage to our children and maybe they won't grow up with some of the notions we see here.

Even if my child was being held back I would be prepared to put in extra time with him at home. Its primary school work, not rocket science. The benefits of having multicultural classes far outweight the disadvantages that some perceive here, imo

zonEEE

No, i think the op is right, being in leaving cert myself i feel foreign people do hold back the class, the teacher would always have to stop and explain it twice or three times before they understand, because they can not speak the language. It really can become annoying at times when the class has to stop and stuff has to be explained over and over, i would have no problem if they couldn't understand the topic eg finding maths hard but its the fact that they don't speak the language.

Nevyn

Well the problem lies with the dept of educations lack of learning supports.

I woud like to ask the op would they have a problem if there was a child with a learning
disablity in thier child's class ?

amen

just saw this post but on line from that start sticks out

Is the only way of getting around this sending him to a private school? Or an Irish school?

so you would send your child to an Irish school where the method of teaching is through the medium of Irish. I assume you don't speak this at home (as most ppl don't) so in effect you would be holding back those who attend the irish school and speak irish as their first language just as you are saying others will do to you child if they go to the local school?

MagicMarker

amen wrote: »

just saw this post but on line from that start sticks out

so you would send your child to an Irish school where the method of teaching is through the medium of Irish. I assume you don't speak this at home (as most ppl don't) so in effect you would be holding back those who attend the irish school and speak irish as their first language just as you are saying others will do to you child if they go to the local school?

Well, generally 5 year olds don't speak Irish, they'd all be starting off together.

lostinnappies

Snowman123 wrote: »

This is quite a controversial question.
I have a son who I need to enrol in a school shortly. I would ideally like to send him to an all boys’ Catholic school. But, as we now live in Balbriggan there is no such school.

There are local mixed school that my nieces and nephews attend and I have been told that the classes are 50% Irish kids and 50% foreign kids. I don’t have a problem with foreigners and I am by no means racist, but they hold the whole class back.

Is the only way of getting around this sending him to a private school? Or an Irish school? I don’t want him to be held back by other kids who cant speak the language.
I just want him to have the best education available.

I think private school is the answer but my OH disagrees and says he hates everything about private schools are he believes they are very elitist. But what other option do we have?

I can understand where you are coming from. Children from outside english speeking countries will not only have to learn english (and some will find it difficult and will hold back the class because they dont understand) but will also have to adjust to a whole new culture, climate and way of life. This will pose problems and a teacher will have to spend more time with those students to the detrament of the other students.

However, to remove your child from a school because of foriegn children will not help your children in life. They will have to deal with adults of differing intellects, manorisms and backrounds. Best to get them used to it now. If however there is an obvious deterioration in standards and your childs progression then yes absolutly move you child.

m'lady

And what would happen if a child with say, a hearing impairment arrived into your all Irish boys school? Could that affect your childs education? My child has had both foreign children and a child with downs in her class and I personally think its fantastic. It teaches them things no text book is capable of, understanding, patience and awareness. This is in my opinion is far more important for a child, and will carry through to adulthood.

Moonbeam

I live in Balbriggan too and from what I hear there are issues in some of the schools due to non national children not speaking english.The schools are not getting the Teaching and language assistance that they need.
To the best of my knowledge there are no all boys catholic schools here either.
It is my personal opinion that the ethnic diversity here is a good thing,to us in school an english person was a strange foreigner!I wouldn't send my kids to a single sex or religious school either given the choice as I want their experience in school to be real and as close to reality on the outside as possible while of course remaining sheltered due to their age.
Education is also more about going to school,the extra time you spend with your child reading and doing homework can really make a difference too and maybe make up for in the areas where the education system fails.
I don't think any of the local schools are an option for you to begin with.

ArthurDent

I think the m'lady made some good points. Particularly at primary school there is a huge spectrum of learning abilities in a class - there are people who don't have English as a first language, there are those that have specific learning problems like dyslexia, there are children with behavioural problems...young kids are the most adaptable/accomodating. In my kids school there are some classes where almost 50% of the kids have parents who weren't born here - and you know what after a few weeks not only are they fine in English but they're fine in Irish too.....keeping the children apart doesn't work - if all children who don't speak English as a first language are lumped together they don't learn - by immersing them in a class where English is spoken all the time they learn very quickly. And all of them also receive extra English lessons in very small groups too.
If I was looking at reasons for choosing or not cxhoosing a particular school - the nationalities of the kids wouldn't be top of my list - how the teachers are, what the resources are like, what the general atmosphere is, how approachable the principal is would all be higher up on my list of what I'd want.

Gabsdot

My son is in JI in a very international school. I think it's great. His school is lucky to have 6 support teachers and my son gets time with the support teacher because he has a speech delay, it's not only for the children who have difficulty with English. However with the education cuts his school may lose 4 of these support teachers. I guess that's another topic altogether.
In my son's class there are 23 children, 6 or 7 have Irish parents. Big deal.

I would recommend to the OP that they go and visit some of the schools in the area, talk to the principal and see what you think when you actually go into the school. Don't just count the black faces in the yard, talk to other parents and get their views. There are lots of things that make a school good or bad. And cultural diversity is wonderfully educational

BTW In my experience there are a lot of families who think that having lots of 'foreign' kids in the class is a bad thing . I have a couple of friends who live beside my son's school who choose to drive 30 mins in Dublin traffic to send their kids to a different school with less foreigners. This disgusts me actually particularly as an adoptive parent to a 'foreign' child. I just hope the children themselves will grow up to be a bit more tolerant.

di11on

I wish we could replace half our DD's class with foreigners in place of the Irish kids who are causing discipline problems to the point of creating a dyfunctional learning environment. The whole class has been held back because of a few kids who run riot and can't be controlled.

Can we please trade these lovely all Irish boys for your foreigners please?

Críochnaithe

iwo wrote: »

No - they are unintelligent...

That is an unfair generalisation to make. My children go to an all-Irish school with children who are non-nationals but speak English, and Irish, fluently. I'm certain the OP would be okay with this situation.
As I do not experience what the OP is asking about, I feel I do not have a right to comment. But I have more of an understanding because of the problems my work colleagues (who happen to be non-nationals) are experiencing, and I felt I had to mention it in this thread because posters were quick to call the OP racist!
My colleagues are not "unintelligent", they are only concerned about their children's education.

Dades

Macros42 wrote: »

Ah - the all excusing 'but'. :rolleyes:

The "but" wouldn't be necessary if the OP didn't have to try and pre-empt the hysterical shouts of racism that are inevitable as soon as someone types "foreign".

I'd agree with the point that was made about foreign kids' language difficulties occurring in early primary school, where education is more about social interaction than academic achievement. If kids were being held back later in the system, that would perhaps be an issue. But it can only be beneficial to the child to go to school in a real world environment from a young age.

esmeralda

Reading this thread it just strikes me as ironic that I work in a postgraduate educational establishment where students pay €50,000 Euros a year for the privilege of learning in a highly diverse environment with over 80 nationalities on campus.

Diversity gets a lot of bad press, but when it works it is an amazing force.

OP your child will probably be far better equipped for the world he is going to live and work in at a school where diversity is the norm, than in a primary school version of an old boy’s club.

dare I say there is a big difference between a la de da 3rd level college and a primary school in a new surburb in Dublin.

"There was a very strong sense across all of the groups at the lack of social skills exhibited by some newcomer children when they come to school. However, this was not universally applicable across all newcomer groups. It was felt that this was particularly an issue with some African children and particularly boys. Again and again, teachers in Junior schools
pointed to the fact that many of their African children in the early years did not have the social skills to take part in class-groups of 29 children. This perceived lack of social skills, the teachers indicated, leads to considerable disruption. While teachers were somewhat reticent about ‘naming’ such concerns for fear of stereotyping particular ethnic groups, there was a
strong sense also that remaining silent on the issue would allow it to fester below the surface, where it would be likely to become a throbbing racist sore".

A report on primary schooling in Dublin 15, well worth a read

http://bap.ie/dloads/intercultural_education_report.pdf

one gets a sense of schools being overwhelmed, struggling with a lack of resources

oh well

my son attends boys local school and daughter a local girls school, both catholic run, both have quite a few children in their classes who wouldn't be native english speakers but it doesn't hold the class back in any way. to the contrary they have learn so much words and phrases in other languages, sampled foods from other countries, and celebrated other country's traditions all at the same time keeping up with their traditional education. The only private primary school near us has alot of foreign nationals in it too - are you assuming that non English speakers wouldn't be able to afford the fees !!!!!

I wonder if the OPs own child would ever need learning support would he/she withdraw their child from the class as it might hold the rest of the class back.

planetX

Unfortunately where I live I had no choice but to send my son to an all-native Catholic school. I would prefer your problem...

amen

remove irish from the Curriculumn(spelling?) and loads of time for teaching english

planetX

planetX wrote: »

Unfortunately where I live I had no choice but to send my son to an all-native Catholic school. I would prefer your problem...

I wouldn't worry too much, I know loads of Irish Catholics, and the're mostly grand

Dades

oh well wrote: »

The only private primary school near us has alot of foreign nationals in it too - are you assuming that non English speakers wouldn't be able to afford the fees !!!!!

I'd imagine the OP is assuming there would be less foreign nationals in RC schools, given their 'right' to take catholic kids in first, in the common event of over-subscription.

Dades

Dades wrote: »

I'd imagine the OP is assuming there would be less foreign nationals in RC schools, given their 'right' to take catholic kids in first, in the common event of over-subscription.

really?

"In one Educate Together school on Dublin's northside, there isn't a single foreign-national child in the junior infants class starting this September, despite the school's multidenominational ethos"

also

"Meanwhile Catholic schools in the same area are catering for large numbers of non-English-speaking children living locally"



http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2008/aug/10/minister-considers-new-law-to-prevent-schools-from/

donut_whistle_b

I'm afraid I agree with the OP.
Does this mean I am prejudiced ?
Probably
Should I be considered racist ?
Probably - note: I should point out that I do not have any problems educating my child with other Europeans or Asians however I do not wish my child to spend her day being schooled with children from a specific continent where the average IQ is 60.
.
However it is not illegal to hold such an opinion and my child's academic progress comes first.
The difference is I am being brutally honest about it.

In answer to the OPs question you have 3 alternatives:
Educate your child in either a (1) Private, (2) Protestant or (3) Irish school.
- Private will be unaffordable.
- Protestant schools prioritise proper religions i.e. Protestant Reformation churches (i.e. no wibbly-wobbly Pentecostal / evangelicals / church of the apocalytic lawnmower etc let in)
- Irish schools they wont be able to meet the language criteria.

Putting up my umbrella now for the inevitable deluge of indignant replies...

embee

donut_whistle_b wrote: »

I do not wish my child to spend her day being schooled with children from a specific continent where the average IQ is 60.

Can you back that up with proof, or is that just an ignorant sweeping generalisation?

donut_whistle_b

> Can you back that up with proof, or is that just an ignorant sweeping generalisation?

Here are some statistics from a book written by 2 professors of psychology:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IQ_and_the_Wealth_of_Nations

Essentially, south of the sahara there appears to be a remarkable coincidence in the statistics.

beth-lou

donut_whistle_b wrote: »

I'm afraid I agree with the OP.
Does this mean I am prejudiced ? ...

Yes, and ill informed and ignorant of the reality. But it's your choice to be that way, so who am I to judge.

donut_whistle_b wrote: »

Should I be considered racist ?
Probably - note: I should point out that I do not have any problems educating my child with other Europeans or Asians however I do not wish my child to spend her day being schooled with children from a specific continent where the average IQ is 60.

Again, ill informed and ignorant of the reality. Funny how the current American president is a direct descendant of the continent you so subtley refer to. :rolleyes:
.

donut_whistle_b wrote: »

However it is not illegal to hold such an opinion and my child's academic progress comes first.

Your child would be a more well rounded individual if they were exposed to different cultures and learned patience, understanding and acceptance, as opposed to the close minded attitude you are exhibiting. But that's your choice.

donut_whistle_b wrote: »

The difference is I am being brutally honest about it..

Just because you are being honest, it does not make your stand right or truthful or fair. And your child will not be brighter or better educated because it is not in a class with other nationalities. What if there is a kid with dyslexia in the class? Will you move your child from the school. Or a child with Downs? Your child will do well in school with encouragement from you, a good teacher, a keen interest and the intellectual ability it is born with. They are the factors that will determine how well it does acedemically. Socially, it would certainly benefit from meeting other cultures and a child with a lower IQ will not hold back yours.

donut_whistle_b wrote: »

In answer to the OPs question you have 3 alternatives:
Educate your child in either a (1) Private, (2) Protestant or (3) Irish school.
- Private will be unaffordable.
- Protestant schools prioritise proper religions i.e. Protestant Reformation churches (i.e. no wibbly-wobbly Pentecostal / evangelicals / church of the apocalytic lawnmower etc let in)
- Irish schools they wont be able to meet the language criteria.

Putting up my umbrella now for the inevitable deluge of indignant replies...

The truth is you cannot escape foreign children in any school in the state. So I suggest you become better informed on the actual stats and stop reading Herald headlines and quoting them as truth. I have seen absolutely no negative effects in my childs education because of other nationalities being in her class. Quite the opposite. She is fluorishing and is even getting extra work to do at home because she ahead of the rest of her class. Her best friend in the class, who is Irish, has dyslexia and needs extra tuitopn, and this probably slows the teacher down a bit, but so what. They're all in it together and to be getting so hot and bothered about primary school education based on ill informed statistics and opinions is dangerous and harmful to those poor kids who just want an education like yours.