Startling differences in educational performance of the second generation in Europe 26-04-2007 Across Europe, there are wide disparities in the educational achievements of
second-generation immigrants. This is revealed by a case study of vocational
track pupils with Turkish parents in five European countries (Germany, Austria,
The Netherlands, Belgium and France). The study examines three meaningful
indicators of success: the children’s educational tracks, drop-out rates and
transition to the labour market.
Comparing these countries shows the importance of institutional standards,
such as the number of contact hours with teachers, the selection age for the
level of secondary schooling and the age at which children start school. For
example, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have a relatively high rate of
Turkish pupils in vocational education compared to Belgium and France. In these
three countries, children start school later, have fewer hours of face-to-face
teaching and are selected at an earlier age.
Another important indicator of success is the number of children who leave
school without a secondary education diploma. France, the Netherlands and
Belgium have far higher drop-out rates than Germany and Austria. It is suggested
that the age at which pupils receive their diploma, as well as the balance
between practical and theoretical learning explain the gap in drop-out rates.
A strong, well-established apprenticeship system helps to smoothe the pupils’
transition to the labour market. In countries with an apprenticeship system,
such as Germany and Austria, unemployment among the Turkish second generation is
much lower than in countries without such a system, such as France.
Nevertheless, discrimination makes it difficult for Turkish young people to find
good apprenticeship positions with prospects for future work. This is an issue
that needs to be addressed at both national and local level.
Source: Migration Information Source back |
