EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - TIES Policy Brief: The Second Generation in Europe

TIES Policy Brief: The Second Generation in Europe

Introduction

The TIES survey is unique in the sense that it compares one group (second generation Turks) in 13 cities in seven European countries. Since the starting position of this group is very much comparable with regard to the predominantly rural origins and low levels of schooling of the parents, this approach brings the effects of systemic differences and integration policies into focus. This is particularly salient in the fields of education and labour. The comparison across countries (and cities) allows identifying what works (better) and what does not.

Description

policy recommendations:

School system

There is a direct relationship between the attained levels of education of children of immigrants and the years they spent together with peers with native-born parents. Two parameters mainly have an influence here:

Starting school at an early age reduces the gap to the children of non-migrant background. Entering kindergarten at the age of two or three seems to be most effective.
Late selection provides the best conditions for doing justice to the talents among children of immigrants; in short: the more years between entering education and the selection into different tracks the better.
Segregated schools can have an additional negative effect.

The risks of age 16

In most countries compulsory schooling ends at age 16. This is the crucial point in time, when students are either streamed into higher secondary education or into vocational training/apprenticeships. Moreover, at this age the rates of pupils leaving school without any diploma increases strongly.

Drop-out is more effectively prevented in countries, where pupils acquire their first lower secondary diploma before the end of compulsory education.
This works especially well, if they are effectively streamed into apprenticeships or into preparatory tracks smoothening and facilitating the transition to the apprenticeship system.
Combining lower and middle vocational education in the same school also prevents early school leaving.
Especially in school systems with early selection longer or alternative routes to higher education are important for providing needed extra opportunities for children of immigrants.

Higher education

A quarter of the second generation Turks made it into higher education – a huge accomplishment of both the second generation and their supportive parents considering the low socio-economic background of the parents.

Drop-out in higher education is a serious problem across Europe – especially since this group showed the potential to succeed. The indirect routes to higher education frequently do not provide sufficient academic preparation to succeed in higher education.
Because of the frequently longer and indirect routes to higher education many second generation students begin to study at an age when they already have to work to provide an income for themselves or their families.
Higher education institutions should be aware of this; their starting point must be that those who entered higher education earned their presence there. They should implement measures for keeping students aboard (e.g. with extra guidance and mentoring) rather than selecting them out.

Parental support and siblings

The support of parents is mostly socio-emotional and not practical. Teachers should focus more on this aspect rather than on what parents are not able to do. Schools need to develop more effective ways to reach out to parents and to find their support.
Schools should also be aware of the important role of older siblings, performing many of the tasks of parents in non-migrant families. Mentoring projects with higher education students (of migrant descent) as mentors provide effective support to children of immigrants in secondary schools.

Labour market and discrimination

As much in school as when looking for a job a clear majority of second generation Turkish respondents states to never have experienced hostility or unfair treatment.
Yet, a substantial minority in all countries do have had experiences with these kinds of treatment at least occasionally. The comparison with their non-Turkish peers at the same educational level indicates that the problem hits this group hard, especially the lower educated. Explicit anti-discrimination policies should be implemented to target schools and companies.
From the perspective of both society and the emancipation of the Turkish community highly educated persons of Turkish background can play a pivotal role in advancing the situation of the Turkish group as a whole. But this requires good professional perspectives and social recognition in the wider society.

Publication date

23/06/2009

Download the TIES policy brief (ENG PDF 221KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy

Keywords

Social inclusion & integration