Immigration and school composition in Ireland

Abstract

In the last decade, Ireland has experienced a rapid increase in immigration on a scale previously unknown in the country's history. Over this time, Ireland has been transformed to an increasingly heterogeneous country in terms of nationality, language, ethnicity and religious affiliation. These changes have also impacted on the composition of Irish schools. The article draws on data collected for a large-scale study of primary and second level school provision for immigrant students. The findings indicate the absence of the degree of school segregation found in many European countries, mainly due to the geographical dispersal of the immigrant population and the wide variety of national groups represented. However, the interaction between geographical location, parental choice of schools and school admissions criteria means that immigrant students are overrepresented in larger schools, schools located in urban areas and those with a socio-economically disadvantaged intake.

Changing Ireland, 2000–2012: immigration, emigration and inequality

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Seven Principles for Assessing Effectively Maintained Inequality

“…It is no secret that people are on the move around the world (e.g., Byrne, McGinnity, Smyth, & Darmody, 2010). The rise of immigration makes many nation-specific data sets contain many people who are not native to the nation under study or whose parents are not native to the nation under study.…”

Irish post-primary students' attitudes towards ethnic minorities

“…This diversity, which became far more pronounced and visible after 1995 has now been well documented (Smyth et al 2009, 7;Byrne et al, 2010). By the mid 2000s 15 per cent of the population resident in Ireland was not born there (CS0, 2007: 104).…”