Immigrant children best performers at school

Three out five best students at the Sassetti Peruzzi Professional Institute in Florence are second generation immigrants. 

The excellent performance of Brisa Lutaj, Francesco Cheng and Anna Wiktoria Redel disapproved those who have been claiming that the presence of foreign students lowers class performance. “We take our studies seriously because we consider them our only way out,” said Brisa, adding that: “I see many Italian students not taking their studies seriously, that makes me hungry.” 

“As it happened to the second and third generation Italians abroad, even the children of immigrants in Italy can attain higher education and even obtain higher grades than Italians,” said Carlo Melegari, Director of Centro Studi Immigrazione (Cestim) in Verona. He said foreign students face many difficulties but they should be helped to better integrate themselves into the education system. Their ability to overcome obstacles together with their parents’ higher expectations can be added advantages to their becoming model students, Mr. Melegari said. 

The determination of second generation immigrant students is clearly evident for example, during summer Italian language courses organised by Cestim. So many children of immigrants go to school for four hours a day in July and August when their Italian counterparts are having fan at the beach.