Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in Europe

Integrating Immigrant Children into Schools in EuropeYet in around 10 countries, the framework defined at national level does not in general govern the way inwhich institutions for teacher education really regard their own provision for intercultural education. Thetwo most commonly adopted practices are the development of an intercultural approach via certainsubjects, and training specifically for intercultural education.The first practice is characteristic of certain institutions in the German-speaking Community of Belgium,Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia, Norway or Romania. The subjects including elementsof education for an intercultural approach are in most cases the language of instruction, foreignlanguages, geography, history and religious education. In Norway, these subjects are governed by theframework plan for teacher training. In Latvia, teachers of ethics and social sciences play an important rolein intercultural education in compulsory education.Special modules intended to train teachers for an intercultural approach exist for example in certaintraining institutions in France, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Slovakiaand Iceland. Their content is usually determined by the institutions themselves. In Austria, thegovernment has established the length, optional nature and content of courses on interculturaleducation that are part of teacher training for pre-primary education.There are thus very few countries that provide institutions with clear instructions as to how curriculashould implement intercultural education. Here and there, support intended directly for those who trainteachers has been introduced.In the Netherlands, the Ministry of Education has stated that teacher training for primary educationshould cover special teaching methods for intercultural education, which are communicated through anetwork of training institutions. In the United Kingdom (England), the Teacher Training Agency’slatest annual survey (2003) of newly qualified teachers shows that many of them felt that their initialtraining had not properly prepared them for teaching in a diverse classroom. In response, the Agency isdeveloping an Initial Teacher Training Professional Resource Network to identify and spread goodpractice. The Network will also develop exemplification materials on diversity for teacher trainers. InNorway, various measures have been implemented to enhance the perception of multiculturalism ininstitutions that provide this training.Continuous professional development in intercultural education, which usually focuses on acquiringcompetence in teaching practice or methodology geared to work with pupils from different culturalbackgrounds, exists in the great majority of countries. It may be provided by many different players, suchas institutions for teacher education, teacher associations, ministries of education and in-service trainingcentres, etc. In most cases, it is optional. In Greece, in-service training is compulsory for teachers inschools that have adopted an intercultural curriculum.In Portugal (where there is no centralised directive on the inclusion of intercultural education in initialteacher education) and in Finland, guidelines on the development of an intercultural approach have beenset as part of continuous professional development.The 2001 legislation in Portugal on the professional qualifications and background of teachers in preprimary,primary and secondary education specifies the skills related to intercultural education thatteachers should acquire in the course of lifelong training if necessary. In Finland, the teacher educationprogramme established in 2001 by the Ministry of Education considers that training related to linguisticminorities and immigrants is a priority area for continuous professional development64