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Session E: Focus on groups at risk (e. g. migrants and minorities).The case of Spain

International Conference. OCDE.Fair and Inclusive Education

Tuesday, 5th June, 2007

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Immigration in Spain: general trends

• Percentage of migrants in Spanish population: increased more than tenfold between 1998 and 2004. It’s the fastest growth in the E.U.

• Incidence of immigration in the educational system: large differences between regions. As an average, 7.4% in pre-primary, primary and secondary levels.

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Large differences between regions

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4

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14%

Percentage of immigrant students in the non-university educational system. Spain, 2005-06

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Participation in non-compulsory education

• Access to early childhood education (0-2 years) in 2004: 29% for the migrant population, 32% for nationals (the difference was larger in 2001).

• Access to upper secondary (general and vocational): 33.9% for migrants, being 56.9% the total access rate (one of the lowest in Europe).

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School performance of migrants

PISA-03, Spain: Maths score for nationals is 45 points above the score for migrants (or children of migrants).

Percentage of migrants in Maths level I and <I : 42.4% (percentage for the whole population is 23%).

To what extent can the school performance of migrants be explained by socio-economic status?

The 45 point difference is reduced to 36 points if the socio-economic origin of the pupil is controlled for.

Total PISA-2003: the “gross” difference is 29 points and 16 when the socio-economic origin of the pupil is controlled for.

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Concentration of migrants

• Two main causes of the concentration of migrants in specific schools:

- residential segregation- patterns of selection and school choice.

• Concentration in public schools.

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Concentration of migrants in public schools

Percentage of immigrant students in the non-university educational system by type of centre. Spain, 2005-06

Total Public PrivatePre-primary 6,3 8 3,2Primary 9,2 11,4 4,7Secondary lower level 7,9 9,6 4,7Secondary upper level (academic) 3,4 3,9 2Secondary upper level (vocational) 4,8 4,9 4,5

Total 7,4 8,9 4,2

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Policy levers: “welcome classes”

• Different policies in regions. But “welcome classes” (with different designs) are a common element.

• Newly arrived migrant children who don’t speak Spanish spend a few months (not more than six) in separate “welcome classes”.

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Welcome classes. A typology.

1) Temporary and “travelling” classes: Basque Country (temporary classes), Andalusia, Extremadura (“travelling”).

2) Permanent classes with pupils who stay in them just during a part of the school day. Examples: Aragon, Galicia, Murcia.

3) Permanent classes with pupils who stay during the whole school day: Asturias, Navarre, Madrid and Catalonia.

4) Classes that aim to a global and integrative attention to diversity, creating links between family and school: Cantabria, Castille and Leon.

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Difficulties met during implementation processes

• Migrant students very often enrol after the academic course has started.

• Concentration in public schools (together with geographical concentration).

• Lack of specific training for teachers. “Teachers have not received training to work with children having different characteristics and needs”. Teachers need professional development to address the issue of cultural diversity.

• Lack of consideration of the original culture and language. Lack of a multicultural curriculum.

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Planned strategies

• Evaluation of programmes. The outcomes of the programmes have not yet been analyzed in depth.

• Collaboration and information exchange between regions.

• Consideration of the particular characteristics of the pupil to determine the length of his/her stay in “welcome classes”.

• Use of innovative learning methodologies (e.g. cooperative learning, content-centred learning).

• Production and distribution of resources specifically oriented to the attention to cultural diversity in education. Example: recently established CREADE (CIDE, Ministry of Education).