2023-05-17 08:56:40
Kindergarten subsidies must be linked to the quality of German language support – the Vienna People’s Party submits a motion for a resolution with a package of measures
Vienna (OTS) – “Education is the key to integration, to the job market and, ultimately, to security in our city. The early pre-school German support in kindergarten is massively decisive. It is the absolute basis for sustainable educational success for Viennese schoolchildren,” said state party chairman Karl Mahrer, who, together with education spokesman Harald Zierfuss, announced at a press conference that kindergartens should be compulsory for 3-year-old Viennese children who need German support and that Viennese kindergarten funding should be linked to the quality of German promotion in kindergarten demands. After all, there is a massive need for action in Vienna in particular. In the 2020/21 school year alone, there were 10,484 non-degree students in Vienna’s elementary schools who did not speak enough German to be able to follow the lessons. 60 percent of these children were already born in Austria and 80 percent of them attended kindergarten for more than two years. “This makes it clear: two years of kindergarten are obviously not enough here and the quality of German language support in Vienna’s kindergartens leaves a lot to be desired. A whole bundle of measures is therefore needed to ensure that every child born in Austria speaks sufficient German when they start school so that they can follow the lessons as a regular student. A promotion of German that only really begins in school is far too late,” says Mahrer.
Vienna should take Denmark as a model, where even 3-year-old children with non-Danish colloquial language receive comprehensive language training. “However, the NEOS are already failing when it comes to increasing the number of German support staff in the kindergarten, which has de facto stagnated for years,” says Zierfuss. Although the SPÖ and NEOS have agreed to increase the number of language support staff from “300 to 500” in the government program, a recent response to a query by City Councilor Wiederkehr reveals that there are currently only 240 full-time equivalents in Vienna. “This means that there is only one language support worker for around 62 children with German support needs. 40 percent of the children who need language support do not receive any language support at all,” says Zierfuss. It is therefore no wonder that the promotion of German in kindergarten fails and the children do not speak German even after two years of attending kindergarten. “In this respect, it is also necessary to link the payment of kindergarten support to the quality of German support in kindergarten. If children with a need for German support do not speak enough German at the start of school to be considered regular pupils, the support should be repaid or further support evaluated. Extraordinary challenges in Vienna also require extraordinary measures, which we will bring to the municipal council next week as a resolution,” said Zierfuss.
The demands of the Vienna People’s Party for German promotion in kindergarten summarized:
1. Mandatory kindergarten attendance for children with a need for German support from the age of three: For children whose language level was identified as having a need for German support at the age of three, attendance at kindergarten must be made compulsory so that they can start school as proper pupils with all the opportunities and possibilities be able to successfully continue their educational path.
2. Assessment of the language level of all 3-year-old children in Vienna: Of course, what is needed before kindergarten is compulsory from the age of 3 is an assessment of the language level of all 3-year-old children in Vienna – including those who do not yet go to kindergarten. From this point on, the language development of the children must be closely monitored and explicitly encouraged.
3. Link kindergarten support to the quality of German support in kindergarten: The kindergarten has a clear educational mandate. However, only superficial checks are carried out to determine whether kindergartens fulfill this educational mandate. In any case, an essential quality feature would be the development of the German language skills of children whose colloquial language is not German. If they do not speak enough German at the beginning of school to be considered regular students, at least part of the funding would have to be repaid or further funding for the association would have to be generally evaluated.
4. Increasing the skilled worker-child ratio: Both at federal level and at Vienna level, the NEOS in opposition have repeatedly submitted applications for an increase in the skilled worker-child ratio to 1:8 or 1:10 for 3 to 6-year-olds placed. As soon as he was in government responsibility, the responsible city councilor for education, Wiederkehr, no longer wanted to hear anything about it and pushed the responsibility onto the federal government. In order to bring more quality into language support, a step-by-step plan is needed in the long term to get more teachers in the kindergarten groups.
5. All educators must have language support training: Since German support in kindergarten is mainly integrated into everyday life, all professionals must have language support training. Admittedly, the promotion of German is now already integrated into the basic training, but for all teachers who have not yet been trained, in-service training measures are required that are financially supported.
6. Increase in the number of accompanying language support staff: Every child with identified language support needs must also receive additional qualified German support in the kindergarten. To do this, the number of language support staff must be increased rapidly and massively. It is unacceptable that the number of language support staff in Vienna has de facto stagnated for two years and that 40 percent of children with German support needs are therefore not receiving any. We call for a rapid training offensive for language support staff.
7. C1 level for all kindergarten staff: Currently, the Vienna Kindergarten Ordinance only stipulates a language level of C1 for educational staff, but not for assistants. In order to use this language support resource as well, a step-by-step plan must be drawn up so that in future all kindergarten staff – including kindergarten assistants – can have a language level of C1 as a minimum requirement.
Questions & contact:
The Vienna People’s Party
Press & Communication
01/515 43 230
presse@wien.oevp.at
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