White children will be in minority enrolling in U.S. schools by 2019, study finds



Immigrant children are well on their way to overtaking whites in American schools, a nationwide population study has found.

White pupils made up 58 per cent of school enrollment last year, down from 64 per cent in 2000 with all the signs that the trend will accelerate faster in years to come.

In eight states across America, however, Hispanic, black and Asian three-year-olds already outnumber their white counterparts.

Changing demographic: White children will be in the minority at elementary school enrollment by the end of this decade, a study has found

Experts said the trends showed that the U.S. is 'on its way to having a majority of minority students in schools'.

The change is being fuelled by the most significant surge of immigrants since the late 19th century when thousands of arrivals from Europe swelled the population.

Higher birth rates amongst immigrant families means they are more likely to tilt the balance in schools and the balance of the population in general once they grow up.

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The report from the respected Brookings Institute found the change was most obvious in eight states, or one in six of the total.

They were Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.

There white children counted for less then 50 per cent of nursery school and kindergarten enrollment. Back in 2000, just six states reached such a level.

According to Brookings the next in line to tip the balance are Georgia, Louisiana and Maryland.

Brookings demographer William Frey said: 'We are on our way to having a majority of minority students in U.S. schools.'

Immigration has become a tinderbox issue in American politics, particularly for states which border Mexico.

Arizona lawmakers recently attempted to pass rules which would have allowed police to stop and search anybody they suspected was an illegal immigrant.

There are also proposals to remove the right of those born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants to have automatic American citizenship.

President Barack Obama vowed to pass immigration reform within his first years but instead deportations have been higher than any year under the George W Bush administration.

The Brookings study also found that the high numbers Hispanic immigrants in particular were fuelling the changes.

Some 23 per cent of children in kindergarten were Hispanic in 2009, up from 18 per cent in 2000 and 10 per cent in 1989.



Hispanics now account for nearly a fifth of all enrollment from nursery school through to college.