JANET Dobson and Kirsty Henthorne are to be congratulated for their study of high pupil mobility and its impact on educational achievement. Their interim report of the damaging effects of educational displacement on highly mobile groups identifies a problem which is very familiar in London and other urban areas.
Greater turnovers in pupil attendance are the norm in many London boroughs which have a high proportion of families in rented and temporary accommodation, large numbers of refugee children, and extreme social deprivation. The additional challenges resulting from this disruption are exacerbated by high levels of teacher mobility in the capital.
The report indicates that the interaction of these factors results in poor performance levels. London schools have had to tackle the additional educational needs of displaced pupils for many years. It is important that the Government recognises the implications of this, both in the development of education policy and in the distribution of resources.
Lord Harris of Haringey Chair Association of London Government 36 Old Queen Street London SW1H.
