THE ATTITUDES OF PARENTS-MIGRANTS ON INTEGRATION IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF BAVARIA

Abstract

In the last decade, we have witnessed a large number of economic and political migrants to the countries of Western Europe, especially The Federal Republic of Germany. Migration brings with it not only the provision of a job and accommodation. Leaving the country of permanent residence also opens up other issues, both for individuals and for entire families. Most often, one of the parents leaves first in order to take the family as soon as possible. The technical requirements for family reunification in The Federal Republic of Germany are clearly defined by the legal regulations of the state: salary, accommodation, language knowledge. However, general integration also implies adaptation that is difficult to measure with the forms of the Office for Foreigners. It is informal, unspecified, but somehow taken for granted. One of the integration levels is the adaptation of children and families to the educational system of the Federal Republic of Germany, that is, to the preschool and school system of some of its provinces. The paper discusses this type of integration and the experiences of parents-migrants. Their experiences were presented through conversation and summarized in attitudes from which the weight of informal integration can be clearly seen. The parents pointed to their own expectations, unpreparedness and ignorance of the system of another country, but also pointed out the benefits of good "passability" through the school system of Bavaria. Additionally, the parents pointed out the shortcomings of a large system like the school system in this German federal state, which does not recognize the knowledge acquired by students unless it can be expressed in the host language. This inflexibility of the system causes frustration for both the parents and children.