Strategies for Integrating Immigrant Children into the European School System

Strategies for Integrating Immigrant Children into the European School System
With the immense influx of immigrants to Europe, European society has
become increasingly multicultural. How do these various cultural
elements affect the education system in each Western European nation?
Immigrants move to Europe for a greater economic opportunity, seeking
asylum or to escape political and social unrest in their countries.

But how do the children of immigrants, either first or second
generation, adjust to the education system, in order to contribute the
society once they become adults? How are families integrated in the
educational experience of their children, when they do not speak the
dominant language of the European Nation? Finally, how can European
and non-European children be taught the values of tolerance and
compassion towards cultural diversity, rather than develop and believe
more radical non-acceptance attitudes?

It is important to create a strong bond between the families of
immigrant children and schools. In order to do this, hiring assistants
who speak the same language of children, enables families to be more
involved. Also, creating more multi-lingual websites and resources for
immigrant parents, enables them to be more informed about their
child’s educational process. The reality is that children of
immigrants are often living bi-cultural and bi-linguistic lives: their
lives at home and their lives at school. The question becomes, how can
the daily movement between home and school be a gradual and positive
transition? The systematic incorporation of Resource Person, who
serves as a cultural and linguistic mediator for the reception and
orientation of pupils and children may be one option.

Both the children of immigrant families as well as the children of
European families must be taught how to understand, tolerate, and have
compassion for each other’s cultural differences. Rather than
diversity being seen as a hindrance and weakness, children can be
taught that linguistic and cultural diversity is a strength. But in a
reality in which social and political extremism is increasingly
present in Europe and Globally, both amongst those born in Europe and
those who immigrate to Europe, children must be inculcated and
educated in a more empathetic educational system. An educational
system that teaches both local European history and languages, as well
as the non-European languages and perspectives of history.

With an increasingly globalized world in which people are increasingly
mobile, children must be taught how to think for themselves, rather
than blindly believe what they are taught by their parents. They must
learn how to speak more languages, as well as deal with the
uncomfortable realities of discrimination and racism at a young age.

By teaching children how to speak about and celebrate cultural
difference, all children benefit from forming a more tolerant society.
All children must be taught about each other’s cultures, so that they
can more comfortably interact with someone who is different than them
religiously, culturally and linguistically. By better integrating
immigrant children into the European education system, both European
and non-European children begin to gain a deeper understanding of
other.

In order to help children adjust to the European education system,
they can also teach them their native language. Some nations in
Europe, offer course work in schools to those immigrant children who
live in densely populated immigrant communities, the opportunity to
learn in their Heritage Language. This is based in the fact that if
children learn how to write, read and spell in their native language,
than they are more capable to learn the local European language as
well, because they are more educated. By teaching children their
heritage language, this gradually helps bridge the gap between their
linguistic and cultural reality at home and the reality of living in a
foreign society. In such communities that have great cultural
diversity, the European children can also be taught these non-European
languages as well.

However, children must all be taught the local European language, in
order to be more integrated in European society in the future.
Otherwise, they run the risk of developing the complex of being an
“outsider” in the society in which they live. This is a sensitive
issue, because the European education system must celebrate the
diversity of their students as well as teach the local language and
culture. Otherwise, many nations may run the risk of loosing their
European identity, in the process of integrating many immigrants into
their society and becoming over culturally sensitive.

To conclude, if the children of immigrant children are to be successfully integrated
in the European Education system, they must feel that they are able to
maintain their personal cultural and linguistic identity, as well as
become part of the European society where they are living.