Help on offer for migrant workers

Published on 1st November 2007 in News

Most people in Goole are aware of the growing number of migrant workers in the town. What is perhaps less evident is that more and more workers are bringing their families to the area.

As the government admitted this week it had underestimated the number of foreign nationals in Britain by 300,000, we take a look at how the education services are keeping up with our increasingly multicultural society.

Research by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC) shows that, in the spring term of this year, 20 children of migrant workers were attending Vermuyden School, five were at St Joseph's Primary School and four were at Kingsway Primary and Parkside Primary schools.

More recent figures indicate that at Boothferry Primary, 36 migrant children are currently enrolled – almost ten per cent of the school's community.

Yesterday afternoon, the ERYC's Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee was due to meet to consider the support available to these children. While young people are usually able to 'soak up' any language more easily than adults, children of migrant workers are nevertheless faced with the nerve-racking prospect of starting a new school in a language they do not understand.

In a report to the meeting the head of Boothferry Primary School, Ros Williamson, said: "On entry to school, the immediate concern is to settle the children into their new class and help them meet their basic needs.

"They have no English language acquisition, the younger children have not previously attended school and it is frustrating and upsetting not to be understood."

Ann Woodward, head of policy and strategy at the ERYC, agrees. "It can be very daunting for children when they first arrive in school," she said.

However, as more and more migrant children arrive in the community, support systems are being established.

"Now that we have a large number of English as an Additional Language (EAL) children, the settling in process is often easier as we can use more confident pupils to support the new arrivals," said Ms Williamson in her report.

"New pupils are referred to the EAL section of the Special Educational Needs Service.

"A member of the service visits the child in school and assesses their level of need. Children with very little English are allocated a small amount of funding to provide initial additional support.

"This equates to three hours a week teaching assistant time, for 12 weeks."

Promoting teacher-parent communication is another issue being tackled. Polish- and Portuguese-speaking outreach workers have been employed by the ERYC, but according to Sue Garner, Curriculum Leader Family Learning, migrant workers often believe they are too good to be true.

In her report to yesterday's meeting, she said: "The greatest barrier, after the obvious one of language, is that of mistrust of the support offered by the outreach workers, because it is freely offered and has no ulterior motive.

"Some less scrupulous individuals in the area have been offering support at a cost. We are slowly making progress to overcome this hurdle as the word spreads about how we can positively help the families need to recruit a Polish-speaking outreach worker to bring the team to two Polish-speaking and one Portuguese-speaking members.

"We will continue this support until July, 2008 and hopefully beyond if funding can be found, providing seasonally appropriate activities, family ESOL [English for Speakers of Other Languages) provision and generally giving advice and translation support to ensure that the families have access to statutory and voluntary services in the Goole area."

Helping Hands

Sadly, instances of migrant workers are not limited to offering translation – private landlords have also been known to have taken advantage of their situation. But while a small number of people refuse to embrace new cultures, many others are going out of their way to welcome them. One such group is Helping Hands.

"We started off by offering support to the migrant workers," said Joan Taun, treasurer of Helping Hands. "Out of that came a kids' club, a family club really - we welcome parents as well.

"We have up to 15 kids on a Thursday, and two ladies from the East Riding's participation unit come to help with craft work.

"There's table tennis, softball - people can use the computers and the laptop.

"We can't give advice but we can direct them wherever they need to go - to the council, to the job centre, to the CAB.

"It's mainly social support we're offering - it helps integration."

Boothferry Primary are also happy to welcome foreign visitors.

In her report Mrs Williamson said: "These children and their families have added a new dimension to our school community. It is wonderful to hear them chatter to each other in a different language.

"It is lovely to share their birthday, Christmas and end-of-term traditions. It is exciting to watch them learn and progress and it helps us to achieve the aim of Boothferry Primary School that says: 'To understand the world in which we live and develop respect for other races, religions, beliefs and ways of life.'."

New leaflet

A new leaflet which aims to protect migrant workers from living in sub-standard homes will be published this month.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council's private sector housing team has put together the leaflet, which is printed in Russian and Polish, to ensure migrant workers are aware of their rights to decent accommodation.

The private sector housing team carries out routine inspections and reacts to complaints to ensure properties are free from deficiencies and hazards that could impact on the health and safety of occupants.

They have powers to take appropriate action, where necessary, to improve living conditions.

Cllr Jane Evison, the council's housing portfolio holder, said: "We have found many migrant workers and their families living in poor accommodation and we want them to know they have a right to a decent home.

"The aim of this leaflet is to tell them how they can protect themselves from unscrupulous landlords and how we can intervene if we are needed."

* The leaflets will be available in Goole from mid-November from the East Riding offices.