Flight from London

ruggedtoast

Generali wrote: »

Flat and wet.

My view is that this is an extension of 1,000 years of London history. For almost a millennium, people have come to London to seek their fortune and then move out either once they've succeeded or perhaps once their kids have made enough to move on.

All that's changed now is the scope of where people are moving in from. Don't forget that up until the mid-C19th, someone from Yorkshire or Shropshire would be as alien to a Londoner as someone from Ulan Bator today.

My concern is that I just cant see, how on their current trajectories some of the communities that make up the bulk of immigrants in some areas are ever going to achieve that.

There are large numbers of people who are illiterate in their own languages, who also wont let women learn, or who carry with them such social problems that the local schools cant manage anything other than crowd control. And somehow they are meant to be some kind of success story when areas like Tower Hamlets and Harlesden have two thirds of people signing on.

MS1950

ruggedtoast wrote: »

My concern is that I just cant see, how on their current trajectories some of the communities that make up the bulk of immigrants in some areas are ever going to achieve that.

There are large numbers of people who are illiterate in their own languages, who also wont let women learn, or who carry with them such social problems that the local schools cant manage anything other than crowd control. And somehow they are meant to be some kind of success story when areas like Tower Hamlets and Harlesden have two thirds of people signing on.

As I posted earlier:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184338/London-schools-class-GCSE-results-despite-high-poverty-largest-number-non-native-English-speakers.html

Headline:

“London schools top of the class for GCSE results despite high levels of poverty and non-native English speakers among pupils”

Many reasons - but among them, if you are someone who has uprooted themselves and their family to move half way round the world in hope of a 'better life', you will probably have higher aspirations for your children than the average.

ruggedtoast

MS1950 wrote: »

As I posted earlier:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184338/London-schools-class-GCSE-results-despite-high-poverty-largest-number-non-native-English-speakers.html

Headline:

“London schools top of the class for GCSE results despite high levels of poverty and non-native English speakers among pupils”

Many reasons - but among them, if you are someone who has uprooted themselves and their family to move half way round the world in hope of a 'better life', you will probably have higher aspirations for your children than the average.

I dont hold a lot of store by the Daily Mail. Firstly saying "London schools" in the context of immigration is meaningless as you are comparing Balham with Bow.

As someone who has lived in London and knows people who have taught in inner London schools I can promise you that if you send your kid to a typical secondary low incomes area there expecting them to outperform the national average you will be very disappointed.

michaels

Conrad wrote: »

I live in a county bordering London. Incommers from London are 99.9% white.

The pattern is invariably one of having kids and wanting to 'get out' whatever that means.

There is no meaningful celebrating of other cultures and the whites, often left leaning, go to white concerts, white National Trust visits, white Cornish holls, white skiing, white flapjack fetes, white camping, but they do have the odd Indian meal and falafal wrap, soooooo

I live in a county bordering London where people move to take advantage of the space and the schools. The people are of all shades, nationalities and creeds but united by income and middle class attitudes.

MS1950

ruggedtoast wrote: »

I dont hold a lot of store by the Daily Mail. Firstly saying "London schools" in the context of immigration is meaningless as you are comparing Balham with Bow.

As someone who has lived in London and knows people who have taught in inner London schools I can promise you that if you send your kid to a typical secondary low incomes area there expecting them to outperform the national average you will be very disappointed.

I also dont hold a lot of store by the Daily Mail - but the report they were quoting wasn't comparing 'Balham with Bow'.

It was covered on Newsnight last night which focussed on Little Ilford school, which is in an area of high immigration and low incomes in Newham, but is among the highest achievers - not West London or the suburbs.

Last time I checked, Newham is one of only two areas in the country (the other being Brent) where the UK born white poulation is in a minority.

And, by the way, I live in Newham - about 10 minutes walk from Little Ilford School.