Summer German courses create more equal opportunities

2023-07-29 10:07:13

Return calls for mandatory summer German courses

Vienna (OTS) – The Viennese summer German courses are aimed specifically at non-degree students from elementary schools, middle schools, the AHS lower level and from polytechnic or specialist schools. Extraordinary are those students who, depending on the result of the MIKA-D (measuring instrument for competence analysis – German) test, are in a German remedial class (in the case of insufficient knowledge of German) or in a German remedial course parallel to the lessons (in the case of insufficient knowledge of D).

Deputy Mayor and City Councilor for Education Christoph Wiederkehr emphasizes: “The free summer German courses were offered in this form by the city for the first time this year and have already been extremely well received. This shows how important such offers are. The past has often shown that, unfortunately, it is precisely those schoolchildren who would particularly benefit from additional support offers that do not make use of them. It therefore takes new paths as well as the necessary courage and determination to take them. In terms of the chances of these children, the federal government should create the possibility of obliging children to take summer German courses if necessary. If we manage to make up for language deficits and learning deficits with binding offers, we make a decisive contribution to successful integration and to the freedom of the individual child. But for that, the ÖVP would have to finally end its blockade policy and take action.”

The courses promote and deepen skills in the German language. If required, literacy courses are also offered in combination with the German course at secondary level I. The non-degree students should consolidate and expand their knowledge of German or acquire basic knowledge if they have only been in Austria for a short time. The courses are pedagogically tailored to the age group of the students and also include trips and excursions.

The overarching and major goal of this educational measure is to support the non-regular students in learning the language of instruction as quickly as possible and in switching to regular school status and then to regular classes as soon as possible.

Attending the summer German courses allows the students’ German skills to be checked again, exceptionally, within the first two weeks of school in the coming school year (MIKA-D tests are usually held at the end of the semester). The result of this review decides on further German support at the school.

Current numbers

The summer German courses take place at five different locations across the city:

MS Bildungscampus Sonnwendviertel: Gudrunstraße 110, 1100 Vienna
MS Enkplatz: Enkplatz 4, 1110 Vienna
BS Längenfeldgasse: Längenfeldgasse 13-15, 1120 Vienna
MS Selzergasse: Selzergasse 25, 1150 Wien
PTS/FMS 22: Wintzingerodestraße 1-3, 1220 Wien

There are 3 two-week rotations per location (10 July to 21 July; 24 July to 4 August; 7 August to 18 August) with 11 courses each (8 courses for the primary level and 3 courses for the secondary level 1/PTS)

In addition, there are 2 three-week literacy courses at each location (July 10 to 28; July 31 to August 18), each with 1 course.

This corresponds to a total of 35 courses per location and 175 courses in total.

The maximum number of participants per course group is 16, both literacy courses 12 students.

With a total of 2,760 course places, there are currently (as of July 20, 2023) 2,538 registrations. This corresponds to an overall utilization of almost 92%.