Enhancing "Welcome Schools" in Bremen - Increased Demand for Facilities for Refugee Children's Education
In a move to provide continuous education for refugee children and adolescents, the Senate in Bremen has approved plans to stabilize and expand the city's welcome schools. The initiative, which is expected to cost around 625,000 euros, aims to increase the capacity of these specialized educational institutions and ensure they remain a crucial part of the Bremen school system.
Currently, up to 90 children in primary school age are cared for at Überseeinsel in a shift operation, while the welcome school at Ellmersstraße accommodates 285 students in 20 classes. Stresemannstraße currently cares for 167 students, and the four locations of the welcome schools are teaching almost 650 students, many of whom are refugee children and adolescents from Ukraine.
To cater to the increasing number of refugee students, efforts are being made to create the necessary capacities and facilities for the welcome schools. This includes the planning of a permanent location in Bremen-Nord, where 42 students have been schooled in mobile buildings since May, and 73 students are expected to be taught there starting from the school year 2024/25.
The expansion plans also include improvements to fire protection and the transformation of the welcome schools into goal-oriented schools with language-sensitive subject teaching and intensive German language instruction. The amendment to the school law for the welcome schools is currently in the participation procedure.
The Senator for Children and Education, Sascha Karolin Aulepp, emphasized the importance of ensuring refugee children and adolescents have access to education. He stated that this is crucial for helping them quickly become part of society. The welcome schools are a crucial building block for providing education to refugee children and adolescents, serving as a crucial stepping stone towards integration.
As the autumn and winter months approach, a strong increase in immigration from Ukraine is expected. A further need for at least 400 school places is expected for the current school year due to the continuous immigration of 30 to 40 new young people per month.
The expansion and integration efforts for the welcome schools in Bremen are part of a broader trend in German states. These specialized schools or programs are designed to support newly arrived refugee and immigrant children by providing language acquisition, integration support, and tailored educational pathways. This usually involves increasing capacity, hiring specialized staff, developing intercultural curricula, and fostering cooperation with local communities.
For more detailed and current plans regarding the expansion and integration of welcome schools in the Bremen school system, further inquiry with Bremen's education authorities or recent local government announcements would be necessary.
The Senator for Children and Education has highlighted the significance of providing education for refugee children, acknowledging it as a crucial step towards integration. To cater to the growing number of refugee students, efforts are being made to improve and expand the welcome schools, focusing on personal growth, learning, and education-and-self-development through language-sensitive subject teaching and intensive German language instruction.
