“Ethnic School Segregation: Effects and Policies”

Author: EUROMARGINS
Date: Fall 2010

The clustering of migrant populations in urban environments produces an uneven distribution of pupils with immigrant backgrounds at local schools, and high concentrations of them at some, often public schools. The educational outcomes at such ‘minority schools’ tend to be worse than at ‘majority schools’, but is this due to ethnic school segregation itself?We take a brief look at the phenomenon in seven European countries (the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Estonia, Sweden and Norway), review relevant research and identify gaps in it, before we offer some political recommendations. Our main argument is that lower educational outcomes at ‘minority schools’ is primarily caused by socioeconomic factors. Politicians should consequently implement desegregation policies that reduce inequality related to socioeconomic status, while concentrating their attention on the most ethnically segregated minority schools. School recruitment procedures are of particular attention in this respect.

http://www.sv.uio.no/iss/english/research/projects/eumargins/policy-briefs/documents/4th-policy_brief_school_segregation_January-7-2011-final.pdf