Language problems in classrooms have increased in recent years, and kindergartens are no better. In the current school year, 45 percent of primary school students in Vienna were classified as exceptional. By definition, they do not know German well enough to take lessons, even though they attend kindergarten for an average of two years.
Experts generally see many opportunities to promote German – but only if there are sufficient and well-trained staff to do so. In summary:
- Linguist Verena Blaschitz from the University of Vienna sees the need for action, especially when it comes to the specialist-child ratio, so that not so many children have one educational specialist. Additional staff in the kindergarten could respond more specifically to the children’s language needs. With the right quality, the promotion of German could go much further.
- In primary schools, team teaching would be good to better promote German, where ideally one of the two teachers in the class should be bilingual.
- In terms of education policy, one should also consider whether it is a good decision that access to interconnected day schools or full-day kindergarten programs is partially dependent on the work of parents.
- Children who go to the toddler group learn German more easily and quickly. Even if the children’s language diversity is seen as something positive by the parents, this has a positive effect.
“Those who have a lot of contact with the children need more extensive training in this area.” In practice, however, teaching in German remediation classes is often done by the youngest colleagues, even though they are not (yet) trained. for this difficult task, says Blaschitz.
Four percent salary increase at private institutions
Kindergarten teachers and assistants in private kindergartens will receive four or 4.3 percent more salaries from January 1. The new minimum wage for kindergarten teachers in the first year is now 3,063 euros and for assistants 2,137 euros
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
