CHILD refugees are now being taught in mainstream Southend schools after fleeing war-torn Afghanistan, it has been revealed.

Almost 100 Afghanistan refugees moved into the Park Inn Palace Hotel in Southend in September after fleeing their home country in terror.

Initially, education was provided at the hotel and in a Southend mosque, but now a number of children have begun full-time education.

Now, 28 primary aged children have been enrolled in a school, while 18 are attending secondary schools in the area.

The names of the schools have not been released by Southend Council.

A spokesman for Southend Council said: “The numbers are fluctuating as families are beginning to be moved out of bridging accommodation under the resettlement into their long-term housing, which for the majority moved to date, has been out of the area.

“From September to November, all compulsory school aged children have been provided with educational activities consisting of EAL tuition 4 days a week, creative, music, sport, and therapeutic play (primary only) over sessional times three days a week and religious observance and social activities through the Mosque one day a week.

“Post 16-18 learners all had access to this offer.”

All of the primary school aged children have been accommodated in one primary school.

The council spokesman added: “It provided security of placing the children together but with full integration into the school and its pupil community.”

All 16–18-year-olds were offered a full-time placement at Southend Adult Community College, where more than 85 per cent accepted this prior to Christmas.

The Southend Council spokesperson said they expect all these numbers to continue to change as families are moved out of temporary accomodation and into “settled dwellings”.

Due to data protection, the Park Inn Palace Hotel was unable to give an update of how many of the approximately 90 Afghanistan refugees were still being housed in their hotel.