Because 81 percent of the children have problems with German, the ÖVP is now proposing radical solutions.
Wien. The Viennese ÖVP sees a huge German problem in Vienna’s kindergartens and elementary schools, as state head Karl Mahrer and education spokesman Harald Zierfuss and integration spokesman Caroline Hungerländer have now established.
Hardly any knowledge of German. In fact, 81 percent of elementary school students do not or only partially meet the educational standards in German. Of the 10,484 children (14.1 percent) in elementary school who have to take German remedial classes, more than 60 percent were born in Austria, grew up and went to kindergarten, 31 percent even have citizenship. “This is a blatant educational and integration failure,” says Zierfuss in the AUSTRIA conversation.
Radical demands in the style of the FPÖ
advance. The trio of Mahrer, Zierfuss and Hungerländer then presented a radical package of demands, the radical nature of which is largely reminiscent of the Viennese FPÖ: “You have to be dependent on your knowledge of German in everyday life. With very few exceptions, information and brochures from the city should only be available in German. All integration offers should only be in German. An application for minimum income or information about this in a foreign language must be avoided,” said Zierfuss literally.
Compulsory German course. And further: “If the children’s knowledge of German is found to be insufficient when the language level is determined in the kindergarten, the parents must attend a German course if they do not have sufficient knowledge of German.”
In addition to more staff and a reduction in the group size in kindergartens, a minimum level of German for kindergarten staff is also required.
Hungerländer’s conclusion: “The education system fails when it comes to integration. The idea of voluntary integration has failed. Parents need to be held accountable. It must be clear: without German, there is no progress in this city.”
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