Inclusive education as a catalyst for the biographic development of young refugees

Abstract

Against the backdrop of current migration flows, this article describes the challenges for integration in host societies. Since 2015, new structures in education have emerged in Germany. Schools and universities have developed programs that enable refugee youth to pursue their interests and professional goals. Of particular importance is the acquisition of the national language. Centers have sprung up in all German states where German can be learned as a second language. Cooperation between these centers and schools forms an important basis for the linguistic integration of refugees. The principles of social integration are explained using the example of the international class established at a Waldorf school. A social science dissertation was written at the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences, which examined concrete educational experiences at this school. In the case vignette on an Afghan adolescent, exemplary problems and approaches to solutions in the work with young migrants are analyzed. With this case analysis, institutional recognition and promotion of skills brought along can be presented as a significant resource for successful integration.