Education: Hope for newcomers in Europe
In order to campaign effectively, the project coordinator and team members of GEW began to take stock of school integration of refugee children and the main challenges in the preparatory classes. They informed colleagues about the situation in schools and the most recent figures in Bremen – together with the local refugee council which provided information about the situation in the refugee reception centres – and presented their common advocacy work (GEW Bremen, 2016). To give colleagues more space to articulate their needs and to identify the critical issues for different sectors of the education system (primary, secondary and vocational), 12 interviews were carried out including teachers of preparatory courses and union representatives in schools. Also, a workshop was organised for teachers employed by the Stadtteil-Schule during the pay round strike in February 2017 to put their specific claims forward and plan respective actions. In September 2017, teachers and other educational staff in the preparatory courses in each sector were supported in producing a list of demands addressing critical issues at a day-long conference (Fachtag) with sector-specific working groups.46 About 100 participants, among them refugee teachers, discussed educators’ intercultural competences, dealing with prejudices, and best practice examples of teachers’ work in schools. Parallel workshops with the local refugee council were held, concerning their projects in schools and discussions with the vocational trade council about how refugees can access apprenticeships and vocational training. The conference recommendations have been discussed with relevant stakeholders and are due to be published as part of a programme of action to improve the provision of education for refugee children and young people. This programme involves a combination of negotiations with the state government and public pressure from union activities from autumn 2017. The project has been marked by the willingness of teachers in the preparatory courses to articulate their concerns and demands. At the same time, these teachers are generally the most precariously employed staff within Bremen’s education system, so organising on a longer-term basis has been challenging. 4.2.2. Support programmes for refugee teachers As mentioned in Section 3.2.3, there are qualified teachers among the refugees who are eager to share their experience and use their skills in German schools and who could help to ease pressure in the system, but are rarely accepted for work in their profession. Recognition of their qualifications is impeded by bureaucratic procedures and their lack of proficiency in German language. Usually, further studies for the equivalent of a degree and postgraduate teaching 46 https://www.gew-hb.de/projekt-gute-bildung-fuer-gefluechtete/ Accessed 20 October 2017.
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