As a result of family reunification, children who still do not meet the requirements for schooling often come to Austria. The Ministry of Education now wants to set up special German support classes and has been working on changes to the curriculum since April.
Together with the Vienna Education Directorate and experts, “considerations will be made on how to address the special educational challenges,” said Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP). For the affected children and young people, the first step is to learn preparatory skills so that they can be integrated into regular lessons.
Currently, children who do not know the German language well enough are placed in their own German support classes for a maximum of 20 hours per week for a maximum of two years. They spend subjects such as handicrafts, music or gymnastics with their regular class.
Many illiterates from Syria
In Vienna, where most family reunifications of migrants take place, so-called ‘orientation lessons’ were introduced in March. In these, children who are not yet ready for school are prepared for regular lessons for up to two months. Between January 2023 and February 2024, more than 4,000 children and young people who came through family reunification were admitted to compulsory schools in Vienna. After that, about 300 were added each month, but the numbers have recently fallen again.
More staff
The largest group are children from Syria with Arabic as their mother tongue. Many of them have not been to school and have spent part of their lives in refugee camps. Many are illiterate, according to the municipal government.
Polaschek announced that there would be more staff for these classes. For the 2024/2025 school year, 391 additional positions are planned, including staff for displaced children and youth from Ukraine.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
