HC Deb 24 October 2002 vol 391 cc387-8
2. Alan Simpson (Nottingham, South)

What assessment he has made of the impact of inclusion of refugee children in mainstream schools. [75265]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills (Mr. Stephen Twigg)

The Office for Standards in Education published a report in October 2001 entitled "Managing Support for the Attainment of Pupils from Minority Ethnic Groups", which included information on the impact and inclusion of refugee children in mainstream schools. Its main findings were that many needed extensive support to help them to acquire English, and some required additional home-school liaison and pastoral care support. Evidence exists, however, that once new bilingual learners overcome their lack of fluency in English, many go on to achieve high grades at school.

Alan Simpson

May I add my regrets at the forced departure of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills yesterday? It is a sad day for Parliament when someone of transparent honesty and integrity is required to stand down.

In respect of the education of refugee children, will the Minister bear in mind the overwhelming view of head teachers in my constituency who are the recipients of refugee children that they add enormously to the quality of education in schools? They have a hunger to learn and an enthusiasm to integrate, and that enthusiasm reflects the comments in the Department's joint document with the National Union of Teachers that the acquisition of English will be most rapid if new pupils engage and work with other children in the class…The host children are central to this solution". If that is the case, can we reflect on the importance of integration in mainstream schools rather than on the creation of separate schools in accommodation centres?

Mr. Twigg

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, and I certainly agree with him. It is my experience that, once settled, refugee children play a positive part in many of our schools. I see that in my constituency.

The accommodation centres seek to deal with the turnover of new arrivals in schools. We are carefully considering our position following the vote in the other place, but we will seek to overturn the defeat that took place there. Nevertheless, there are great benefits from having in school children who have English as an additional language. Many of them do well and benefit the wider school community.

Mr. Roy Beggs (East Antrim)

I genuinely regret the fact that the previous Secretary of State is no longer in her place, but I welcome her successor.

Does the Minister agree that, when refugee children or their parents have no command of English, the priority should be to provide individual tuition so that those children readily integrate into schools and their parents integrate into society?

Mr. Twigg

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, and very much agree with him. Our Department is working on the plans for education services for the children in accommodation centres. Learning English will be an absolutely top priority, as will delivering the rest of the national curriculum.