Schwerin (dpa/mv) – Around 5,500 refugee children from Ukraine are currently being taught at schools in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. They make up almost half of all foreign students, according to a statement by the Schwerin Ministry of Education on Sunday. “More than 12,000 students from almost 130 nations are currently being taught in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,” explained Minister Simone Oldenburg (left).
In the last two months, the number of Ukrainian students in MV has increased by around 1000. MV currently has a total of more than 160,000 students.
Those who have come to a school in MV from abroad since the beginning of this school year in mid-August are generally taught in so-called preliminary classes. In these multi-year classes with four hours of instruction per day, the focus is on learning German. According to earlier information from the ministry, the children should stay there for one to two years.
The reason for the new procedure is that the teachers are overwhelmed by the need to teach a larger number of children without knowledge of German together with German-speaking children from the very beginning. As a reaction to the flight from the Ukraine, 95 preparatory classes with currently 1,200 children and young people were set up at 66 schools this school year, Oldenburg explained.
The State Refugee Council had criticized the establishment of the preliminary classes. MV is thus leaving the exemplary path of gradually integrating children into general lessons right from the start.
Every refugee child will be taught, also in the future, assured Minister Oldenburg. At schools with capacities for joint teaching, joint teaching also takes place. There are currently 63 external representatives across the country to support refugee children.
According to the information, more than 600 refugee children are currently being cared for in daycare centers, after-school care centers and childminders.