Review on Migrant Education Austria

1. Review on Migrant EducationAustria First of all … thanks to Deborah, Claire and Christian for the excellent and comprehensive Country Note! • Review raised and strenghtened the debate on migrant education in Austria • A broad stakeholder process took place • Further discussions: NAP (National Action Plan on Integration – launched by the Ministry of Interior) and Discussion on the Green Book for Migration & Mobility

2. Review on Migrant EducationAustria The Austrian approach until 2008 (3 columns) • First language support for the most important language groups (20 mother tongues) • Support in German as a second language (GSL) + permanent extension of support measures • ‚Intercultural Education‘ as one of 13 Educational principles established (1990)

3. General Challenges • Need for a coherent strategy in migrant education • Balance between universal and targeted measures: equity measures for all students irrespective of their cultural / social origin - targeted measures for immigrant students (language support, mentoring, …) • Fragmentation of educational decision-making (federal – provincial level) • High selectivity of the Austrian system – system reproduces social / educational disadvantages

4. Challenges at structural level • Improvement of early childhood education (new compulsory last kindergarten year, more awareness concerning support for disadvanted children,…) • Changes in teacher and educator training - need for compulsory modules in pre-service training, more offers nessary in in-service-training • Improved collaboration between institutions / all levels of education

5. Challenges at school level • Schools and teachers are not enough prepared for linguistic/cultural diversity • Diversity is often seen as a problem or deficit, not as a resource or normal situation • Education Principle ‚ICL‘ is partly unknown or insufficiently put into practice • Quality of instruction and support differs

6. Challenges at school level • Positive approach is often missing, lack of knowledge about language acquistion & plurilingualismus & multiculturalism • Quality/conditions of mother tongue teaching • Schools differ in quality and pedagogical answers across Austria • Good practice is not always transferred

7. General Recommendations • Clarifying responsibilities for the implementation of measures • Funding must be earmarked to meet the objectives and the needs of students • The inclusiveness of the school system should be increased – equity is a topic! • The quality of the instruction and teacher training need sustainable improvements

8. Policy Orientations Overview - Policy Priorities • I Enhancing participation and quality in early childhood education and care • II Providing adequate language support to all students • III Improving teaching and learning environments • IV Engaging parents, communities and schools to support immigrant students

9. Enhancing participation & quality in ECEC • Promote participation of migrant children • Improve the pedagogical quality and support for migrant children • Language assessments should include mother tongue proficiency • Offer targeted language stimulation in ECEC • Involve and use the resourcesof the migrant parents and communities

10. Adequate language support • Change the deficit oriented approach into a positive orientation > acknowledge the linguistic/cultural diversity in schools • Strenghten language support and standardize the support programmes > legal right to receive support as long as a certain language level is reached • Integrate language and content learning– all teachers shape the acquistion of language

11. Adequate language support • Improve mothertongue teaching and increase the benefits of it • Improve the training, the status and the working conditions for mother tongue teaching • Engage more teachers with another first language than German – role models!

12. Improving Teaching and Learning Environments • Accept responsibility of school leaders for a positive approach to diversity • Strenghten the competencies of teachers with respect to diversity > teacher training must reflect diverse schools/classrooms • Train the trainer at teaching training colleges and universities – make them sensitive to cultural diversity

13. Improving Teaching and Learning Environments • Identify good practice across Austria • Make sure that effective practice is communicated and transferred • Make research results available for teachers • Strenghten the cooperation between ministry, teacher training institutions, municipality level and schools

14. Engage parents & communities • Improve the parental and community involve-ment, especially for those from weak socio-economic background • Find new ways of communication with parents • Recognize parents as equal partners in education • Promote local initiatives and provide outside school support • Implement more whole-day schools

15. Outcomes of Ad-hoc Meetings Thanks for organizing it! Networking at international level is important, maybe more time for in dephts-discussions about comparable challenges / strategies / solutions would be helpful for us