Record high of children and adolescents in German funding classes – Diepresse.com
Since the school year 2022/23, a significant increase in conveyor lessons has been observed for better knowledge of German, says the statistics Austria. This is due to immigration, especially from Ukraine.
The number of children and adolescents who attend a German funding class or a German funding course due to problems with the language of instruction has recently risen to a new high – especially refugees from Ukraine. According to the latest available data from the Statistics Austria, almost 49,100 students received such a funding offer in the school year 2023/24. This is about a third more than in the introduction 2018/19.
Since then, children who do not master the language of the classroom have been classified as extraordinary students, and for a maximum of two years in their own German funding classes or six hours in conveyor courses for a maximum of two years a week. Only subjects such as works, music or gymnastics spend them with their regular class.
In the past school year, exactly 49,081 children and adolescents in the compulsory school (elementary, middle, special or polytechnic school) was attested to an extraordinary status. The vast majority were elementary school students, namely almost 39,700.
Most of the conveying lessons in separate classes
A good 52 percent of the children attended a German funding class, the rest a German promotion course. Only 20 percent of these funding offers was integrative. The majority took place in separate classes or groups, as the current answer to a parliamentary request from FPÖ shows by Education Minister Christoph Return (NEOS). This also corresponds to the current requirement: A separate funding class or group must be set up from eight affected students at the location. In the future, however, the school wants to give schools more autonomy.
In the school year 2022/23 there were around 45,700 children in German funding classes and courses, 2021/22 there were still a good 32,700 and thus as many as in previous years. According to Statistics Austria, the number leap was mainly due to immigration, the majority of people from Ukraine. Due to the cut -off date of the survey on October 1st, the refugee movement from Ukraine from spring 2022 was only reflected in the school year 2022/23.
In the first year of the measure there were around 35,300 children in German funding classes and courses, in 2019/20 it was almost 30,900 and 2020/21 around 31,700.
Orientation classes in progress
Because children and adolescents have recently increased to the Austrian school system due to family reunification, which grew up in refugee camps and have no experience with educational institutions, the government is currently also working on the introduction of so -called orientation classes. There, first knowledge of German and basic skills for school attendance should be taught there for a maximum of one semester before they come to a regular or German funding class. At the same time, parents should also be informed about rules and duties in society and in school context. (APA)
