School failure among descendents of immigrants in Catalonia: more than just another assignment

There can be no doubt that the most valuable contribution of immigration to the host country is people and, still more, their descendants with all their potential. Popularly known as “Second Generation”, this population group, estimated in the 2011 census as numbering a little over 183,000 people (at present mainly children and adolescents) in Catalonia, brings with it the additional factors of diversity and the role of creating a bridge between the generation of their progenitors and the host society, as well as between their parents’ country of origin and Catalonia. Data crossing between administrative records and population statistics has made it possible to recover the place of birth of parents and the year of entry of the schoolchild into Catalonia. This information is essential for reconstructing a typology of students with regard to their migratory status.