A conference of young Muslims however called on their peers not to give up on education.
On Saturday young Muslims from across the country gathered to exchange ideas about education. The theme reflected a concern among immigrants about their schooling.
Young immigrants are twice as likely as other groups not to benefit from upper secondary or vocational schooling. Very often, when they do attend school, they have to work harder than others.
“I had to study twice as hard as the others and to figure things out. Especially when I was in lower school, my parents couldn’t help me with my studies or homework because of the language barrier,” said Iraqi-born Zahra al-Take.
The biggest reason for the distance between immigrants and school is their poor Finnish language skills. Racism also puts a bitter taste in schoolyard experiences for many, forcing non-Finns to abandon their studies more frequently than others.
“It can and does leave scars that don’t heal over time. And it can mean that getting excited about education becomes difficult,” explained conference organiser Abdirizak Hage.
Those who struggle most come to Finland during their teen years, but youngsters who have lived in Finland for a long time can feel frustration when they don’t get the same opportunities that others have.
“It could be that we just have to do twice as much to get ahead. Just to prove to society that that we deserve these things,” Hage reflected.
On the other hand an international background may be an advantage. Second generation immigrants on average perform better in language studies.