Kindergarten under pressure: Worries about children with a migrant background!

Kindergarten under pressure: Worries about children with a migrant background!

A comprehensive study on the school readiness of children in so-called “hotspot kindergartens” reveals a worrying picture: over 50 percent of kindergarten administrators are dissatisfied with the children's cognitive and linguistic development. Children of parents with a migration background, especially from Turkey, Arab or African countries, are particularly affected. This information comes from a survey by the research team led by Bernhard Koch from the Tyrol University of Education, which collected data from Upper Austria as well as from other locations. In these kindergartens, where more than 50 percent of the children do not have German as their first language, the management sees major challenges in support and integration, as the children often speak little German and have no contact with German-speaking peers kleinezeitung.at reported.

Changing conditions in daycare centers

The survey of the destatis.de highlights the need for a current analysis of child day care. The focus is on providing needs data for expanding the care offering, especially for children under three. Official data shows that there is a legal entitlement to a kindergarten place, which is increasing pressure on institutions. In view of the changing demographic developments, it is essential to optimize human resources and the care ratio. Many of the leaders interviewed are calling for more support, both in terms of the number of professionals and financial resources, to meet the needs of the children.

Around 59 percent of kindergarten managers confirm that working with children and families from different cultural backgrounds has become more challenging. At the same time, two thirds of the managers are satisfied with the working atmosphere in their kindergarten, which is remarkable considering the difficult circumstances. Nevertheless, there is a clear demand to improve the framework conditions in these educational opportunities and to ensure that children receive sufficient German lessons at an early age, ideally at the age of three, in order to promote their integration and readiness for school.