Impact of Illegals on Schools
How are students from illegal populations affecting our public schools?
More illegal students enter our schools each year. What effect is this having on our nation's schools? What about schools and No Child Left Behind?
The Border
Recent news has been focusing on the insecure border between the U.S. and Mexico. How is this situation affecting schools in border states and in illegal immigrant pockets in the U.S.?
Immigrants Are Not New
We have always been a nation of immigrants. I, myself, am the first-born American in our family. Education was very important to my family. Knowing no English when I entered kindergarten, I learned quickly by observing and listening. By the end of kindergarten, I was on equal footing with peers. This was without special tutoring or an ESL program. I brought English into the home. So, when my younger sister went to school, she did not have the same disadvantage. My cousins were similarly successful in school.
Today
In many schools today, the numbers are overwhelming with students who do not speak the language or are several years behind peers. Almost half of the nation's children under the age of five are now minorities and the numbers are growing because minorities are having more children than the average American. These minority students will soon be entering our public schools.
Hispanics are responsible for the largest growth in population in schools. The Midwest is still predominantly white, but California, Texas and Florida have large concentrations of minorities. Some Midwestern states have pockets of highly concentrated Hispanics with whites becoming the "minority."
Minority Differences
We must distinguish between the minority students that are established American citizens, those that have recently arrived legally and those that are illegal. Minority students that are aware of our culture and learn the language are not the main focus of the concern. The students that enter illegally, move frequently and are not motivated to learn the language are of great concern.
Impact on No Child Left Behind
Schools are mandated to have all public school students proficient in reading and math by 2014. Does that include all minority students? Yes. Does it include all illegals? Yes. Does it include those that began school in the U.S. at the age of 12? Yes. There are grave penalties for schools that do not meet educational standards. But, is it fair to punish schools for what could be a "legal" problem?
Many concerns about students in the country illegally are
- false identification
- arriving long after the school year begins
- long vacations
- moving frequently
- literacy problems (students and parents)
- crime
- poverty
All of these issues cause stress to young children trying to learn. No Child Left Behind is very unreasonable to expect these students to be proficient. The border issue needs to be resolved.
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
