Fringe benefits? Educational experiences of migrant and non-migrant youth in the urban-rural fringe of Galway City, Ireland

The purpose of this paper is to examine the educational achievement of young migrants living in the urban-rural fringe. Specifically, the paper examines how socio-economic status and mobility intersect in the urban-rural fringe to influence the educational outcomes of young migrants. The paper uses survey data collected from over 500 students and 230 parents in Galway city and urban-rural fringe. The analysis highlights the overlapping and mutually constitutive relationship between Galway city and its urban-rural fringe in terms of student commuting patterns and suggests that potential achievement gaps may in part be related to residential patterns and segregated attendance between schools. It also highlights that the ability of foreign born students with foreign born parents to acquire educational capital is diminished in the urban-rural fringe, with important consequences for realizing future educational aspirations.