Sir – Your readers may be interested in what lies behind last week’s headline that class space is running out at city schools.
The explanation lies largely in the number of births in Oxford to foreign-born women which almost doubled from 470 in 2000 to 888 in 2009, increasing their percentage share of all births from 31 per cent to 44 per cent — one of the highest in the country.
At the same time, net international migration to Oxford between 2003 and 2009 added 14,500, or nearly ten per cent to Oxford’s population.
It is no surprise, and in many ways a benefit, that a university town should have a substantial foreign population but it would be sensible to recognize that the pressures on public services in Oxford are a microcosm of what is going on in many parts of the country and of the appalling failure to plan for the consequences of massive levels of immigration.
This is why the public are, rightly, insistent that immigration must be brought under control.
A.F. Green Chairman, MigrationwatchUK
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here