UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

Migrant Baby boom prompts call for new schools.

Wednesday, 9 September 2009

A report released by a cross-party group on UK migration has suggested that up to 96,000 new school places would be required by 2013 to manage a migrant related baby boom.

Representing the equivalent of 500 new schools (with 200 pupils each), the report, released by Balanced Migration estimated that approximately 70% of the new places would be taken by children with at least one overseas-born parent at a cost of up to £1 billion.

Analysis released by the Office of National Statistics ('ONS') showed that in 2008, 703,100 children were born in England and Wales. The figure for 2003 was 607,300. Of the additional births, approximately 13,000 had at least one parent born overseas, with over 54,000 with both parents non-UK born.

Figures released by the ONS suggest that the UK is experiencing a new baby boom with the single largest yearly population increase in almost 50 years. For the first time in a decade however, the ratio of births to deaths was a greater driver for population change than immigration.

In response to fears of school or funding shortages however, a spokesperson for the Dept for Children, Schools and Families said:

"There is no nationwide primary school place shortage - there are over half a million spare places in primary schools across the country...Schools in England have had a sevenfold rise in funding for building and renovating schools from just £700 million a year to over £7 billion now...The latest figures from the ONS showed a fall in net migration, which is further proof that migrants come to the UK for short periods of time, work, contribute to the economy and then return home."

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