Immigrants in London

Immigrants have placed great pressure on London's public services, particularly its educational system:

For those who find London's ethnic mix threatening, high levels of immigration have given them reason as well as opportunity to move out. They have increased pressure on London's stretched public services, too. More immigrants mean more children with a poor command of English. They struggle at school and make life difficult for teachers. In Inner London, 38% of children get five or more good GCSEs; in England as a whole, 48% do. Rising property prices have made it harder to recruit teachers and nurses. In London, 12% of teachers are unqualified or temporary. In England as a whole, the figure is 6%. Rich people, as a result, feel condemned to send their children to expensive private schools (fees around £10,000 a year at secondary level): 16% of secondary school children go to independent schools in London, compared with 8% across England as a whole.