Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in Europe

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Chapter 5 – School-based Recognition of Immigrant CultureFigure 5.1: Provision of support by host countries for teaching the mother tongue,2003/04Mainly on the basis of bilateral agreements(for pupils from certain specific countries)Support available for some languages,not on the basis of bilateral agreementsNo support measures for teachingthe mother tongueData not availableSource: Eurydice.Additional notesItaly: The school board encourages agreements with foreign associations or representations, for the provision ofactivities to safeguard the mother tongue and culture of origin of immigrant pupils.Latvia: One bilateral agreement exists with Poland. Children may be taught their mother tongue and aspects of theirculture of origin within eight minority education programmes (Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Jewish, Lithuanian,Estonian, Romany and Belorussian). Mother tongue tuition may also be provided in Sunday School, with state andmunicipal support.Malta: Mother tongue support measures are currently being developed.Netherlands: Some schools are allowed to implement measures.Poland: Teaching of the mother tongue is organised in cooperation with consular units or cultural associations of thecountry of origin.Iceland: Although municipalities are authorised to teach children their mother tongue when this is not Icelandic,such provision has not yet occurred in practice.5.2. Adaptation of Daily School LifeIn European countries, there are few central level regulations concerned with possible adaptations to theorganisation of daily life at school in recognition of the cultural or religious convictions or requirements ofimmigrant children. Adjustment of this kind (for example, special concessions regarding religiousholidays, educational activities, dress codes or school menus) most commonly occurs at the discretion ofthe school itself, or may be made by education providers, such as municipalities, in the event of broaderlocal demand.53
Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in EuropeSome examples of formal adaptation with respect, first of all, to religious holidays not referred to in theschool calendar or timetable are cited in the national contributions.In Belgium (the Flemish Community), legislation provides for absence from school for the ‘celebrationof festivals constituting an inherent element of a pupil's philosophical beliefs if recognised by theConstitution’. Recognised religions or denominations are Anglicanism, Islam, Judaism, Catholicism,Orthodoxy and Protestantism.In Italy, Jewish pupils may refrain from attending school on Saturday if it is a day in the schooltimetable. This arrangement has been established under an agreement between the Italiangovernment and the Unione della Comunitá ebraiche (Union of Italian Jewish Communities). However,there are no agreements of a similar kind with other religious communities.In Germany, pupils may obtain permission from the school supervisory authorities not to attendclasses on religious holidays. The situation is similar in Sweden, in which agreements on how manydays of leave may be granted to pupils are reached at local level. In neither case is there any indicationas to which religions qualify for this kind of leave. The situation is similar in Latvia, in which religiousholidays are observed where necessary in state and municipal educational institutions. In Norway,pupils who belong to a religious community outside the Church of Norway, may on application begranted leave of absence from school on holidays for the community concerned.There are a few similar examples of adjustment with respect to specific educational activities, forexample the adaptation of group activities, such as sports and music.In Germany, compulsory ‘physical education and swimming instruction’ is usually taught in groupsincluding both sexes. However, schools must offer to teach boys and girls separately if immigrantparents so request. If this is not possible, an immigrant child may be exempt from the instructionconcerned. Similarly, in Sweden compulsory ‘physical education and health’ is also usually taught ingroups including both sexes, but schools can choose to teach boys and girls separately, particularly inthe case of Muslims.In Finland it is generally possible for pupils to be exempted from involvement in sports (e.g.swimming), music lessons, school festivities, etc.The daily act of collective worship in schools in the United Kingdom (England and Wales) mustnormally be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character. Most schools should be able to includeall pupils in their act of collective worship, but where, in view of the family background of some or allpupils, the school feels that a broadly Christian act of worship is not suitable, the head teacher mayapply to the local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) to have the Christiancontent requirement lifted. Parents also have a right to withdraw their children on an individual basisfrom the daily act of collective worship in their school.How the matter of dress codes is handled depends, first, on whether schools require their pupils to wearuniform, or whether there are other official conventions relating to dress.In Ireland, pupil or student dress codes are a matter for individual school managements and, generally,where a religious or cultural requirement is out of keeping with the school uniform a compromise isagreed between the family and the school. Such a compromise might include wearing a requiredgarment under – or together with – the uniform.In the United Kingdom (England, Wales and Scotland) the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000places a specific duty on schools to assess the impact of their policies on minority ethnic pupils, staffand parents. School policies such as uniform/dress codes fall within these general requirements, andschools are expected to be sensitive to the needs of different cultures, races and religions. Schools areexpected to accommodate these needs within a school uniform policy, for example by allowing Muslimgirls to wear appropriate dress and Sikh boys to wear traditional headdress.54
Page 2 and 3:
EURYDICEIntegrating Immigrant Child
Page 4: PREFACE‘How do education systems
Page 7 and 8: Integrating Immigrant Children into
Page 12 and 13: CHAPTER 1EUROPEAN POLICIES IN EDUCA
Page 14 and 15: Chapter 1 - European Policies in Ed
Page 16: Chapter 1 - European Policies in Ed
Page 34 and 35: CHAPTER 3RIGHTS TO EDUCATION AND TO
Page 36 and 37: Chapter 3 - Rights to Education to
Page 38 and 39: CHAPTER 4MEASURES FOR THE INTEGRATI
Page 40 and 41: Chapter 4 - Measures for the Integr
Page 50: Chapter 4 - Measures for the Integr
Page 53: Integrating Immigrant Children into
Page 68 and 69: CONCLUSIONSThe question of how to i
Page 70 and 71: Conclusionslevel of provision best
Page 72: ConclusionsThe Evaluation of Outcom
Page 78 and 79: ANNEXESANNEXE 1 (Chapter 1)Figure 1
Page 80 and 81: AnnexesD. Children of immigrant par
Page 82 and 83: ANNEXE 2 (CHAPTER 4)Figure 2.1: Typ
Page 84 and 85: Language-learning support measuresI
Page 86 and 87: UK-SCTLanguage-learning support mea
Page 88 and 89: AnnexesAT Curricula for German as a
Page 90 and 91: AnnexesPerson responsible for suppo
Page 92 and 93: TABLE OF FIGURESChapter 2: Demograp
Page 94 and 95: REFERENCESLEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTSCoun
Page 96 and 97: ReferencesUniversity Research Insti
Page 98 and 99: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSEURYDICE NETWORKA.
Page 100 and 101: AcknowledgementsIRELANDEurydice Uni
Page 102: Integrating Immigrant Children into
show all

Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in Europe

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?