By: mk
Bolzano – Language is the key to participating in society. This is shown not only by the recent election results in Germany, but also by the current discussion about schools and teaching in South Tyrol.
The election in Thuringia has caused shock waves far beyond Germany: for the first time in post-war history, the AfD, a party classified as right-wing extremist, has become the strongest force in a state election in Germany.
Many argue that politics is too out of touch, that the federal government argues too much, that voters have punished the traffic light coalition. But the truth is that many citizens cannot cope with migration and its effects.
That doesn’t mean that they are Nazis. Nevertheless, ghettos, terror, gang crime and the suppression of women’s rights are often associated with immigration – especially by people from the Arab world. While on the one hand integration should be demanded and the deportation of those unwilling to integrate should be accelerated, on the other hand there also needs to be opportunities for migrants who really want to fit in with us.
Education is crucial for this: in classes where 80 percent of the students cannot speak German and do not learn the language at home with their parents, effective teaching is not possible. Educational deficits lead to a lack of opportunities and prospects: the path is paved for a criminal career.
It remains to be seen whether “special classes” are suitable for teaching language. Outsiders are marginalized even more as a result. Nevertheless, children should learn the local languages in order to be able to follow lessons – if possible before starting school. This is also in their own interest.
Incidentally, education also promotes an awareness among us Europeans of the past and of the lessons that should be learned from it.
