Nearly One-Third of Glasgow Students Speak English as Second Language as City Faces Housing Crisis

REVISED STORY:

Recent Scottish Government data reveals that nearly three in ten students in Glasgow speak English as an additional language, the highest proportion of any region in Scotland.

According to figures from September, 28.8 percent of Glasgow’s 71,957 students—approximately 20,717 pupils—are learning English as an additional language (EAL). This represents a significant increase from 22.5 percent in 2019, though officials suggest improved record-keeping may partially account for the rise.

The statistics emerge as Glasgow grapples with substantial migration pressures. Recent data shows the city accommodates 4,023 asylum seekers, or 65 per 10,000 residents—the highest concentration of any UK local authority. The city has also become a destination for homeless refugees relocating from Belfast, Birmingham, and London.

Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr expressed concern about the figures, stating they have “serious consequences for educational standards, for social cohesion and for the long-term health of our society and economy.”

Council leader Susan Aitken warned in September that pressures could intensify following the government’s decision to reduce the transition period for asylum seekers leaving official accommodation from 56 days to 28 days. She suggested Scotland’s legal guarantee of housing for all residents—unlike England’s policy of housing only those in “priority need”—could draw additional refugees northward.

Glasgow City Council faces a projected £110 million funding gap for homelessness services over the next two years. Scottish Conservatives attribute the budget shortfall to SNP fiscal management.

A council spokesperson emphasized the city’s multicultural character: “Glasgow thrives as a city enriched by many different languages and cultures, and we proudly celebrate this diversity and the positive impact it brings to all our school communities.”

Local officials and homeless charities have called for increased government support to prevent Scotland’s housing emergency from worsening. Sean Clerkin of the Scottish Tenants Organisation urged both British and Scottish governments to provide Glasgow with additional funding and implement a more equitable refugee distribution system across Scottish council areas.