Refugee children - are our schools ready?

Since the beginning of November, more and more refugees have been arriving in Switzerland, bringing with them many children - and the question of whether schools are prepared for the enormous demands this entails. No, according to the Swiss Federation of Teachers (LCH ) and is calling on politicians to take action.

The needs of children and young people from countries where civil war has been raging for years and the infrastructure has collapsed are complex: children need protection, medical care, food, care and, last but not least, education. Waiting, as advocated by the Conference of Education Directors at the beginning of October, will not help them. What is needed now is forward-looking and joint action by cantonal politicians.

7 challenges to be overcome

1. short-term admission and preparation for school
Some refugee children from civil war zones have not been to school for a long time or have never been to school. They are often traumatised and do not yet know the rules that apply here. Many are here without their parents. Ideas, plans and measures are needed to accommodate the growing number of refugee children and young people in the short term and prepare them for integration into state schools in the medium term. The existing structures and human and financial resources are not geared towards this. Unaccompanied children need integrated programmes with teaching and care.

2. preparation for future working life
We have to assume that the children and young people will stay here for longer. Once they have learnt some German after around 20 weeks in reception classes and become familiar with the rules that apply here, young people in particular need to be prepared for a future-oriented transition to vocational training or secondary school. The support provided by the existing case management system must be expanded. Any delay in integration will lead to increased costs in the social welfare system later on.

3. preparation of schools
The upcoming professional challenges for school headmasters and teachers are enormous and sometimes very time-consuming. Additional assistants and carers (including those doing community service) can help children with swimming or homework, for example, or accompany them to therapy sessions. Further training in dealing with traumatic symptoms needs to be expanded. School administrators need administrative support if contacts with care centres increase.

4. information for parents
Parents must be informed at an early stage about how the cantons, municipalities and schools envisage the integration of refugee children and young people. Fears about the well-being and school success of their own children need a credible answer. It must become clear how schools deal with heterogeneity, differences in mentality, culture and religion, how they ensure performance and how they organise communication between children and parents.

5 Reliable perspectives
Schools must be included as important partners in the integration process. This also includes details that need to be organised early on, such as school materials, clothing and equipment for sports or camps. Children, young people and schools need peace of mind and prospects that are as reliable as possible. Learning only works in a safe environment, with good relationships and prospects for the future. Sudden deportations are a shock for all children and teachers.

6. provision of resources
Nobody wished for this situation. But it is here. The school communities and schools need to know early enough what to expect. The cantons must budget and communicate the necessary support. It is incomprehensible if positions for German as a second language or for integrated support are being cut now of all times, as the canton of Lucerne wants to do, for example. If individual cantons think they can keep taxes low for rich people, make further savings at schools and increase school fees, then they are fuelling anger, resentment and unrest.

7 Utilise valuable experience

In communities and neighbourhoods with centres for migrants, there are schools with many years of experience. Older students will still be familiar with the Pestalozzi Village in Trogen AR, where children orphaned during the Second World War and later also children from Tibet found a new home. A number of Quims schools in Zurich(www.quims.ch), for example, have a lot of experience with migrant children and young people. It is possible to benefit from such experiences if they are made known via internet platforms or visiting programmes such aswww.profilq.ch/schulvisite. The cantons should become more involved in this.

What can parents do?

  • If you are worried about your child: Ask your school how safety and services are guaranteed. Many schools may not have an answer yet. Stay patient.
  • If you want to campaign for good framework conditions: If you are planning to reduce the tax percentage in your municipality, ask whether there is still enough money available for a good education, even under difficult circumstances.
  • If you are thinking about special classes for refugees: think about what this means for the future of your children if more and more foreigners who do not know our culture and language live in Switzerland. Where else, if not at school, can integration take place?
  • If you want to get involved in a concrete way: Ask your school or talk to other parents about what activities would make integration easier and how you could get involved. There are many great examples, such as cookery events, social dances or invitations for lunches at home.

To the author

Jürg Brühlmann, lic. phil., is a primary, secondary and special needs teacher and heads the Pedagogical Centre of the Swiss Federation of Teachers (LCH).