Links between immigration and social inequality in education: A comparison among five European countries

Empirical studies indicate that immigrant students are disadvantaged in most educational systems, but also that the international variation in their relative situation is remarkable. However, little is known about the processes that lead to their disadvantage and to corresponding international differences. This paper explores the role of specific national contexts that determine the educational situation of migrants. The main assumption is that the relative performance of migrants in education can be attributed not only to individual characteristics, but also to macro-level conditions in particular societies. Analyzed are selected relationships between immigration, immigrant and educational policies; patterns of migration; and the performance of migrants within the national education systems. This study covers five European cases that show considerable variation in the major explanatory variables: France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Regarding the empirical consequences of these determinants for educational performance, the analyses draw upon comparative micro-level data from the large-scale assessment studies PIRLS 2001 and PISA 2006. These allow conducting multivariate comparisons while controlling for differences in group-level composition. In all countries, a major part of the relative disadvantage can be explained by the social composition of migrants in combination with general patterns of social inequality in education; however, in some cases significant differences remain even when controlling for such group differences. Institutions and policies of immigration, integration and education obviously interact when determining the situation of migrants in education.