Decision of the Ministerial Council – Refugee children must be in orientation classes

Since 2023, children of asylum and subsidiary protection had come to Austria, who had little or no school experience because of their escape and stay in Kampen in Kampen because of their escape and stay in Kampen. In addition to the knowledge of German, they also missed social skills in the base, they were not literally or not at all partially or not at all. All metropolitan areas are influenced by the subject, said it in a document from the Department of Minister or Education Christoph Return (Neos).

With the orientation classes, these children and adolescents are intended to make it easier for children and adolescents to get started with the Austrian school system by getting an initial orientation in their own class -like association. According to the document, the focus is on first German skills, what is needed for school visits such as pens or cutting with scissors, but also “transferring relevant values ​​and principles to live together in a democratic society (such as respect, equality, tolerance, responsibility and self -protection)”.

Expensive is still open
How long the children and adolescents have to visit the orientation classes is not yet established in the ministry, said it. In any case, the legal basis for the orientation classes must be determined in accordance with an assessment procedure in parliament. In the Ministry of Education you can use work on this issue for the time being. Recurring predecessor Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) only announced curriculum changes in the establishment of such preparatory classes last summer. These must last half a year or year and are organized as a kindergarten.

“In the metropolitan center we see the large number of children who have a particularly high need for integration offers – we urgently need to take measures here,” emphasize the measure.

Projects in Vienna and Vorarlberg – with differences
Projects for orientation classes are currently underway in Vienna and Vorarlberg. In the federal capital, return as a city council of education had introduced the model a year ago, the orientation classes usually last two months here. So far, more than 500 children have followed an orientation class and there are currently twelve orientation classes at two locations. In Vienna, the earlier experiences of the school, the literacy status and other important information of children are recorded for the first time. There is also a separate offer to provide parents with information about school visit and to integrate it. “This preparation also serves to support the schools to integrate the new students to be involved,” the education councilor of Vienna Bettina Ememmerling (Neos) was quoted.

In Vorarlberg there has been the pilot project “Learning Room School and Culture” since the fall 2024, in which about 40 non-alphabetizing children and no well-known children with daily school life in Austria in Austria, German support classes in Bludesch-Gais dislocated. They continue to take sports, work and music lessons at their head school to get in touch with their classmates. As soon as you succeed the MIKA-D test, which determines the assignment for a German financing lesson, you must switch back to the head school. According to state councilor Barbara Schöbi-Fink, it is consistently positive with the pilot project. “It is a great opportunity for the students and at the same time relieves the head school.” In the coming months, an extra location must be checked by the educational directorate.