Daily Mail
December 17, 2013
‘Huge numbers’ of migrants from Romania and Bulgaria could place a major strain on Britain’s education system, Sir Michael Wilshaw warned last night.
The Government faced a ‘big job’ in ensuring England has enough quality teachers to cope with the potential influx from the two countries when immigration restrictions are lifted at the end of this month, said the Chief Inspector of Schools.
‘Obviously I have got concerns about that,’ he said. ‘If we get huge numbers of children from overseas and from Eastern Europe coming in, we have to have enough teachers to teach them and resources available in schools.’
England’s schools are already facing a potential classroom crisis as they deal with a rising birthrate which is being partly fuelled by immigration.
A survey by the Local Government Association in September found that almost half of England’s school districts will have more primary pupils than places within two years.
Some areas face a 20 per cent shortfall, according to analysis of official date from 2012.
Sir Michael also said grammar schools are ‘stuffed full of middle-class kids’ and had almost no role in improving the education of the poor.