UK schools and hospitals crippled by "Polish baby boom"

The Daily Mail labelled the situation a "Polish baby-boom" and presented a vision of paralyzed education and health systems. According to the statistics quoted in the media, there were 6,620 births in the families of Polish immigrants, which was almost four times more than before the 2003 EU expansion. "If this trend is continued, 13,000 Polish children will be born in British hospitals this year," warned the tabloid and added that the average cost of each birth covered by the state stands at GBP1,578. In 2008 the British government will spend GBP179 million for additional English lessons for the children of immigrants. According to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), even though the children of immigrants are good pupils, their high number might change the British "education culture".