High numbers of migrants in Ireland progress to college, unlike many other countries

Migrant children in Ireland are progressing to higher education in “astounding” numbers unlike many other jurisdictions, according to a new ESRI study.

The study shows college progression rates are broadly the same for Irish and migrant children from English and non-English speaking backgrounds.

This is in contrast to international evidence which indicates that migrant children tend to have lower grades but have high aspirations, resulting in an “aspirations-achievement” paradox.

Researchers say the factors at play in Ireland may include the relatively high education standards among migrant children’s parents and a strong emphasis on progression to third level across Irish schools.

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The results are contained in a forthcoming ESRI study by Frances McGinnity, Merike Darmody and Emer Smyth of the ESRI which examines immigrant students’ education expectations at age 17 and their participation in third-level education at age 20.

Migrant children in the study were defined as those with two migrant parents who participated in the Growing Up in Ireland study, which has been tracking the progress of children born in 1998 and who were first interviewed at age nine.

At the time the migrant community was dominated by Eastern Europeans, although more than 180 nationalities were included in the wider study.

Frances McGinnity of the ESRI said charts showing progression rates to third level were “astounding” and the numbers, if anything, were slightly higher for migrant children.

She said the findings “bucked our expectations” given that wider research indicates that immigrant students are more likely to have lower test scores and are more likely to attend schools serving disadvantaged communities.

Ms McGinnity suggested that a couple of factors may be behind these high levels including the fact that migrants in Ireland are not a very low-skilled cohort and that very high third level progression in Ireland which means migrant children are “swept up” at the same rates as their Irish peers.

She also noted that latest research indicates that migrant children from a non-English speaking background tend to catch up with their Irish peers in schools between the ages of three and nine years of age.

The composition of the migrant cohort was important. She said outcomes for children coming to work in high-skilled jobs may be very different from refugee families with lower levels of education or those spending long periods in the direct provision system.

A separate study found that uptake of physics and chemistry among students in secondary schools is an “elite choice” with students from the professional classes most likely to take these subjects.

The paper by Carmel Hannan of University of Limerick and Emer Smyth of the ESRI found that the vast majority of schools provide biology at Leaving Certificate level but a significant minority do not provide physics and chemistry.

Smaller schools and those serving more disadvantaged populations were less likely to offer these subjects.

Using Growing Up in Ireland data, researchers found that attitudes towards maths, along with test scores in maths and science career aspirations at age nine were predictive of students going on to take chemistry, physics and, to a lesser extent, biology at senior cycle.

While taking account of a range of student and school differences, they found find significant school-level variation in take-up rates.

For example, almost all fee-paying schools offered physics and chemistry, while those serving disadvantaged communities were much less likely to.

Another study examined whether exposure to a technology-rich environment at home or school among younger children has an impact on young people’s perceived computer skills at age 17.

Research found that students who had access to computers in class at age nine, used the internet for school projects at home, and owned a mobile phone at age 13 were more likely to believe that school had given them better computer skills

Researchers concluded that vocational and community schools may have something to teach other schools given their performance.