Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in Europe

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Chapter 1 – European Policies in Education for Immigrant ChildrenTo sum up, current European legislation on the education of children who are nationals of third countriesand either have legal status or have been resident for at least a certain minimum period, is concernedwith granting entitlement to education under the same conditions as those applicable to nationals, butsubject to certain possible exceptions (see above). It contains no provisions regarding the entitlement toeducation of children who are third-country nationals and irregularly present on European Unionterritory. Neither does it include any positive measures for the assistance of immigrant children.1.3. Definition of Common Objectives and the Monitoring of IntegrationPolicyOne of the general objectives set by the 2000 Lisbon Summit was to improve active citizenship, equalopportunities and social cohesion. This relates in particular to the access of immigrants and their childrento education and training systems.Among the European benchmarks for education and training which were adopted by the ‘Education,Youth and Culture’ Council of 5 May 2003 and should be achieved by 2010, three benchmarks areparticularly relevant in promoting integration and employment of the immigrant population: the average proportion of young people in the EU who leave school early should not exceed 10 %;at least 85 % of young people aged 22 in the EU should have completed upper secondary education;the percentage of young people in the EU who have achieved poor results in reading and writingshould decrease by at least 20 % compared to 2000.It is indeed clear that specific difficulties, essentially linguistic in nature, that may be experienced byimmigrant children during their education are liable to give rise, first, to problems with reading andwriting and then to school dropout. These three benchmarks should therefore prompt Member States tostep up their efforts on behalf of schoolchildren in difficulty, and certain immigrant pupils in particular.The European Commission has several means at its disposal for monitoring policies adopted by MemberStates for the integration of immigrants. In accordance with the conclusions of the Thessaloniki Summit,the Commission is developing cooperation and the exchange of information between Member Statesthrough the Group of national contact points on the integration of third-country nationals. Moreparticularly, introduction programmes for newly arrived immigrants, language training for immigrantsand their participation in civic, cultural and political life, have been identified as priority areas in thisrespect. Furthermore, in 2003 the Commission agreed to prepare an annual report on policies forimmigration and integration in Europe, so as to collect a broad set of data on migratory movementthroughout the EU, as well as on policies and practice in the areas of immigration and integration.Finally, the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, which commenced its activities in1998 ( 6 ), focused its activities in 2003 and 2004 on the discrimination experienced by immigrants in thefields of employment and education.( 6 ) According to Council Regulation (EC) No 1035/97 of 2 June 1997.13
Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in Europe1.4. Concrete Actions Supported by the European CommissionIn 1997, which was decreed as the ‘European Year against Racism, Xenophobia and Antisemitism’, theDirectorate-General for Education, Training and Youth supported different schemes introduced by theMember States, which sought primarily to fight racism. Such schemes were not always concernedspecifically with immigrant children and might also be intended for all schoolchildren with the aim ofteaching them to live in a multicultural society.For example, a project initiated by Greek researchers related to the use by teachers in primaryeducation and by pupils aged between 9 and 12, of a teaching kit dealing with the fact that allpopulations derive originally from cross-breeding. Other schemes were concerned with the promotionof intercultural education in compulsory education (in the French Community of Belgium, Spain andItaly), with adapting the content of initial teacher education and the continuous professionaldevelopment of teachers, introducing a training module for primary school heads, or with theintegration of parents of immigrant origin in school activities (Denmark, Germany and Sweden).Under the Comenius action of Socrates, the Directorate-General for Education and Culture is continuingto finance many projects initiated by Member States, which deal with intercultural education (particularlyin teacher training modules) and with the fight against racism and xenophobia at school, for examplethrough the use of appropriate school books.1.5. Work by the Council of EuropeIn legal terms, the main Council of Europe reference to the education of immigrant children is the 1977 ( 7 )European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers, which came into force in May 1983. As inthe case of the European Community Directive of the same year, the Convention relates to migrantworkers from Member States. It confers on their children the right to enter the education system underthe same conditions as those applicable to the children of workers who are nationals. Furthermore, thehost State has to facilitate teaching of the national language (or one of them if there are several) tomigrant children and seek to ensure that they are granted scholarships on the same terms as thoseapplicable to nationals. Finally, steps have to be taken to enable these children to be taught their mothertongue.Subsequently, a resolution and three recommendations on the education of immigrant children werepassed by the Council of Europe ( 8 ) between 1983 and 1989. Their implementation is not binding on theMember States.( 7 ) In 1977, the present Member States of the European Union were members of the Council of Europe, with theexception of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland. Neitherwere Bulgaria nor Romania members at that time. Today the 25 Member States are members of the Council of Europe,together with Bulgaria and Romania and the three EFTA/EEA countries.( 8 ) Resolution adopted by the Standing Conference of European Ministers of Education, 10-12 May 1983.Recommendation No. R (84) 9 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on second-generation migrants,Recommendation No. R (84) 18 of the Committee of Ministers to Member States on the training of teachers ineducation for intercultural understanding, Recommendation 1093 (1989) of the Committee of Ministers to MemberStates on the education of migrants’ children.14
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CONCLUSIONSThe question of how to i
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Conclusionslevel of provision best
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ConclusionsThe Evaluation of Outcom
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ANNEXESANNEXE 1 (Chapter 1)Figure 1
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AnnexesD. Children of immigrant par
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ANNEXE 2 (CHAPTER 4)Figure 2.1: Typ
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Language-learning support measuresI
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UK-SCTLanguage-learning support mea
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AnnexesAT Curricula for German as a
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AnnexesPerson responsible for suppo
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TABLE OF FIGURESChapter 2: Demograp
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REFERENCESLEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTSCoun
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ReferencesUniversity Research Insti
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSEURYDICE NETWORKA.
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AcknowledgementsIRELANDEurydice Uni
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