Migrant Children: Schooling and Educational Issues

The article Huddled Classes revolves around the educational performance of students in different countries as evaluated by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Most policymakers whose PISA rankings had been low have claimed that this had been caused by a great influx of the wrong sort of immigrants who by cultural (and economic) backgrounds do not place much value on their childrens education. This article,on the other hand, discusses how the policymakers claim are not to all extent true, and how other factors such as the school system and educators itself influence the countrys overall attainment.

The article had identified four credible types of migrant children (whose country of origin are either Turkey, China, the former Soviet Union or ex-Yugoslavia) exposed to varying educational systems.

From the article, the curricula around a system of tracking pupils into divisions of different educational programs provides one explanation for the PISA results among the migrant children from Turkey. Tracking usually functions as a gatekeeper which often simply reaffirms the migrant childrens position in class children of poor, illeducated parents. The educators assume that these children were destined and would be used to similar futures, and therefore place the children into the less academical tracks. The earlier and more rigid the children are placed into these tracks, the more the children become aware of their labels. Being labeled as those who do not understand much, the
Madison Sheena Nazareno Vejerano (08B1904) SP1107 Refelective Portfolio Assignment Universiti Brunei Darussalam

situation of not understanding much becomes real. In the interactionist point of view, this process of acting as if a situation is real and eventually transforming it into reality is called the self-fulfilling prophecy (Neubeck & Neubeck, 1999). Here, the educators prophecy that the migrant children did not understand much has been fulfilled.

On the other hand, in Denmark, where there is no tracking system, the poor PISA results among the migrant children may be due to the unequal school funding - the differing expenditures from one school to another. The more affluent communities can provide more money for school funding in quality education. The immigrants, most of whom are economically poor, however, cannot afford and keep up with the more affluent school standards, so they are more likely to be disadvantaged in terms of educational quality.

Tracking if fairly based on the students academic performance alone does not produce a wholly negative effect (Though generally, performance in academic subjects tend to reflect the environmental advantages associated with class background). In Hong Kong, where tracking school-children also exist, the migrant children from mainland China are not likely to be differentiated since there, which track a child ends up on has less to do with the parents socioeconomic background.

The host countrys educational environment is another explanation. The Chinese immigrants in Australia among the worlds best performers, do not experience great disparity in socio-cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. This is because the

Madison Sheena Nazareno Vejerano (08B1904) SP1107 Refelective Portfolio Assignment Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Australian system allows for diversity within schools, which in turn brings out the students full potential. . The difference in the hours of schooling in their home country and in the country the migrant children are currently in affects their performance, too. This explanation is supported by the migrant children from former Soviet Union and exYugoslavians result in the PISA.

These explanations give support to rejecting the claim that the policymakers had made. In fact, from the article, the OECD have said that countries with more immigrants do slightly better because of the migrant childrens increased motivation. These

motivation may come from what they see from their parents - their willingness to socialize and survive in the new environment by accepting dominant cultures and beliefs, transmitted through schools.

In my opinion, the educational attainment of a country will only improve to the extent that the school systems, teachers, parents and students themselves are committed to achieving it. If there is coordination between these stakeholders increased student motivation, more supportive environment and more equal educational opportunity, this would lead to excellent educational progress encouraging upward mobility among the people of a country.

Madison Sheena Nazareno Vejerano (08B1904) SP1107 Refelective Portfolio Assignment Universiti Brunei Darussalam