Ukrainian children find a welcoming classroom in Berlin

The discussion of immigrants in Europe made me think of current events, more specifically the Russian attacks in Ukraine. I read on the news that many countries were accommodating a large number of Ukrainian refugees, but that also meant that the educational system in each country needed to accommodate Ukrainian children as well. I decided to search up how different countries were welcoming Ukrainian students into their schools and found this particular example about Germany.

“The children nervously clutched their new exercise books, sharpened pencils and erasers as their new teachers welcomed them in Ukrainian on the third floor of the former factory. They will follow their curriculum from back home and also take German language classes. The three hours of school each weekday will be followed by activities such as playacting, painting or handicrafts” (Grieshaber, 2022).

It is reassuring to see that other countries are attempting to give Ukrainian children educational opportunities and limit the gap in interrupted schooling. In this case, German and Ukrainians worked together to start an educational program, instead of directly mainstreaming Ukrainian children into German classrooms. The classes are meant to be Ukrainian-German transitional classes. It reminds me of the transitional language programs, or Structured English Immersion classes in the United States. 

It is also important to note the long-term effects of Ukrainin immigration to various countries. Barban and White (2011) mention that immigrants in school often differ from native children in terms of performance and attainment. Immigrant status depends on characteristics such as socioeconomic status, educational achievements, and family composition (Barban & White, 2011). As refugees, Ukrainians are low on the social ladder and will depend on the host country to provide employment opportunities for families as well. In the current climate, political factors also play a large role in the amount of support that Ukrainian children and their families get. 

This leaves me pondering that as time progresses, is the goal of European governments to assimilate Ukrainian children or to work towards a multilingual and multicultural educational system? Or is this simply a temporary measure?