The success of Catholic schools in Northern Ireland in integrating the children of migrant families serves as an encouragement to the wider Catholic population

The Church’s mission is to teach all nations (cf. Matthew 28:19-20); but what example are Catholic schools setting the rest of the education system in a post-Brexit environment?

In the aftermath of the referendum, there has been much examination of attitudes towards migrants in many parts of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. A majority in this part of the UK voted to remain within the European Union, perhaps because migration has not been such a major factor in public discourse, or perhaps because the recent “newcomers” have been integrated into the local society with greater success.

Education is a key area where such integration can be assessed. The term “newcomer pupil” has become the standard term for a child enrolled in a school who does not have the satisfactory language skills to participate fully in the school curriculum. Since 2001, the total number of newcomer pupils has increased almost 10-fold, from 1,366 to the current level of 12,932 children (or 3.8 per cent of the school population).