Integrating students with an immigrant background in European and Maltese schools : a review

Abstract

EU countries, in particular those around the Mediterranean basin, including Malta, have for the past years faced a growing number of immigrants, both regular and irregular, landing on their shores. Issues which have arisen in relation to such phenomenon are how immigrant children are integrated with local students in local schools as well as the growing debate on educational provisions for these children offered by the respective countries. The aim of this study is to analyse how immigrants are integrated in different schools across Europe. The study firstly views the different challenges that immigrants face when schooled in another country. Challenges are various, such as, mutual acceptance, the language issue, the issue of power and that related to multiculturalism amongst others. After identifying these difficulties, this looks at diverse systems utilized by different countries in Europe to help immigrant students integrate in native schools. Finally, it examines different policies employed in Malta and also suggests a number of policies that could be beneficial to immigrants on the Maltese islands.