The first orientation class for children who came to Vienna through family reunification in the asylum area began operations on Wednesday. Their number has recently increased significantly. Children who are not yet ready for school and do not yet know the European school system should therefore be prepared for regular lessons in special groups for up to two months, according to a statement from City Councilor for Education Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS).
Between January 2023 and February 2024, over 4,000 children and young people of compulsory school age were admitted to compulsory schools in Vienna as part of the family reunification process, and around 300 are still being added every month. According to the city council office, the largest group are children from Syria with Arabic as their mother tongue, a significant number of whom have not attended school for years and have spent part of their lives in refugee camps. The proportion of non-literate children is high.
The orientation classes, which are scheduled to last several weeks, are intended to enable children and young people of school age who have never been admitted to a European school system to get on well and at the same time relieve the burden on Vienna’s compulsory schools. The orientation groups are taught according to the curriculum for German remedial classes, with a teacher with language skills in the native language and one with a focus on German as a second language in the class. When working with parents in the orientation class, the focus is on how regular school operations work in Austria.
“Our goal is still to provide all children and young people living in Vienna with the same educational opportunities. We therefore have to specifically introduce those students, some of whom have never attended school, to life and interaction with one another in our city “, Wiederkehr was quoted as saying. The new model was started with 15 children in grades 1 to 8 at a location in Vienna-Penzing, and another orientation class is scheduled to begin next Monday. The offer is to be expanded further.
2024-03-06 20:46:07
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