Gertrude Shotte

Education, Migration and Identities: Relocated Montserratian Students at the Crossroads Gertrude Shotte

When the Soufriere Hills Volcano thundered to life in July 1995, the achievement motivation levels of Montserratian students (all children of school-going age) were quite high. This height was sustained by a robust home-school-community network. Neither the disruption to schooling caused by the 'on-going' crisis, nor the issue of relocating to England, dampened the students' strong desire to attain educational success. However, within a year of arrival in England, achievement motivation levels plummeted due to various resettlement factors: dysfunctional families, a scattered relocated Montserrat community (from Durham in the north to Southampton in the south), low teacher expectation, stereotyping and lack of background information, among others. 'Education, Migration and Identity' investigates the educational experiences of some relocated Montserratian secondary school students in a London Borough. It exposes a range of emotions and relates the highs and lows of the students' educational journeys in a 'foreign' Motherland.