English : a foreign language in London's schools : 09.10.06

Above Diverse: pupils at Southfields Community College, believed to be Europe’s most multilingual school with more than 71 languages spoken

English is a foreign language in half the primary schools in central London, new statistics show.

Those who speak English as their first language are the minority in inner city areas of the capital.
Nationally, one in five primary pupils are now from an ethnic minority, which means that non-English speakers are in the majority in many schools.

Headteachers are having to accommodate pupils, not just from traditional immigration hotspots such as Pakistan and Bangladesh but also more recent arrivals from Eastern Europe.

A huge increase in students from countries such as Poland is leaving some councils with massive bills to fund extra support such as interpreters.

[ NWN : I see a forboding............ ]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23370136-details/English+'a+foreign+language+in+London's+schools'/article.do