From Britain to Malta: A Demographic Lesson Schools Cannot Ignore
From a Reader of this Blog
I read with interest the article published on this site about school pupils in Malta, which addressed the challenges faced by teachers and educators in increasingly multiethnic classrooms. While I agree with the author that this is not primarily an issue of racism, the growing presence of different ethnic and cultural groups does pose a serious pedagogical challenge—one for which, in my view, Malta’s educational system is insufficiently prepared. Crucially, this is also a matter of resources: not enough public funding is being allocated to address these new educational realities.
I come from the United Kingdom, where this situation is no longer emerging but has become structural, particularly in large towns and cities. As is now occurring in certain Maltese schools, native pupils in many British schools have become a numerical minority. I am sharing a video that frames the issue primarily in terms of race, emphasising that white pupils are now in the minority. However, beyond questions of skin colour, the underlying problem is better described as an ethnic and cultural challenge, reflecting more profound demographic shifts.
This situation is a direct consequence of persistently low fertility rates in Europe. Migration has not simply “replaced” native populations or filled the demographic gap left by declining birth rates; instead, it has transformed the social and cultural composition of communities, including schools. This has generated new and complex challenges, particularly within education systems that were designed for far more homogeneous populations.
In the UK, this reality is now producing tangible tensions. Recently, a school in England announced that it was reconsidering how it celebrates Christmas. In this particular school, the pupils, teaching staff, and headteacher are all from non-white backgrounds, and there are reportedly no white British pupils. The argument advanced is that Christmas should no longer be celebrated traditionally. Yet if an institution claims to honour all faiths and cultures, the exclusion of long-established traditions raises legitimate questions about cultural continuity and integration, rather than inclusion.
These developments are not anecdotal. Even The Telegraph has reported that White British children are now a minority in one in four schools in England. Official Department for Education (DfE) data, released in June 2025, confirms this trend.
According to the January 2025 School Census:
- In 25% of state-funded primary and secondary schools, the majority of pupils are either from ethnic minority backgrounds or are white but not British.
- In 72 schools, no White British pupils were recorded.
- In 454 schools, White British pupils constituted less than 2% of the student population.
- In 31 of London’s 32 boroughs, White British children are now a minority in local schools.
- Across all state primary schools in England, 65.5% of pupils identify as White British, a figure that continues to decline.
These figures reflect a long-term trend of increasing ethnic diversity within the UK education system. They have also reignited broader debates about integration, social cohesion, and educational outcomes, particularly concerning White working-class pupils, who have historically faced an attainment gap when compared both to more advantaged peers and to some ethnic minority groups.
The UK’s experience should serve as a warning and a lesson for Malta. Demographic change, if not properly managed and adequately resourced, risks placing unsustainable pressure on schools and educators—undermining both educational standards and social cohesion. Addressing this challenge requires honest discussion, targeted investment, and long-term planning, rather than denial or ideological simplification.