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small number of Hornsey children who are educationally sub-normal
or ineducable, whereas the national figure does).
There was a considerable increase in the number of backward
readers in the years 1957/58 and this coincided with the relatively
large influx of immigrant children into Hornsey Schools. After a
careful statistical analysis, it is virtually certain that this increase in
the number of children with poor reading attainment was due to the
effects of immigration and not to chance effects.
The percentage of native born English children who are retarded
in reading attainment has remained relatively steady (within the limits
of normal fluctuation) over the last four years. If, however, one
looks at the percentage of backward readers who are from overseas,
one is struck by the great increase in the numbers over the same
period. If the actual percentage of overseas children in the schools
is taken into account (1962 - 12%), it is evident that a child from
overseas is three or four times as likely to be backward in reading
as a child from the United Kingdom.
When the changing school population is considered, Hornsey
primary schools have been successful at holding the level of backwardness
steady at the new higher level. This has obviously entailed
considerable stress and effort on the part of the schools, to which
the peripatetic teachers and Remedial Groups have contributed.
However, the indications of the present position are serious. Since
the highest proportions of backward readers are amongst the younger
age groups, there is a real danger that the primary schools may be
unable to cope with this increase in the future, and with the rapid
rise in the number of children of very low attainment, there may be
a deterioration of standards. It might appear that with the decrease
in the tide of immigration, and the fact that many of the children
entering Infant School, whose parents have come from overseas, were
born in this country, the problem might be lessened. As yet this
would not seem to be so, since many of Hornsey's new citizens use
only their native language at home, and are very keen to keep the
cultural background of their homes unchanged.
The effect of the overseas arrivals is not yet felt so strongly
in our secondary schools.
In an attempt to combat these difficulties some part-time
peripatetic teachers have been provided to teach English in the primary
schools. Evening classes have been arranged for poor readers over
school leaving age. Research has been conducted locally into causes
of severe reading difficulty, with the assistance of the Ministry of
Education and the National Hospital, Queen Square. Research into
methods of teaching reading is also being conducted by the London
Institute of Education.
In sum, whereas the overall levels of reading ability in Hornsey
are good, backwardness in reading is proving a considerable problem
amongst the children of immigrant families and this is not confined to
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