Over 12.190 recently migrated children attend schools in Berlin. Most are in one of the 1004 “Welcome Classes” (Willkommensklassen) of the academic year 2016/2017 (press release, Berlin Senate, 01.09.2016).

The parameters for the schooling are defined in the “Guidelines for integrating recently immigrated children and adolescents in child care facilities and schools” (Leitfaden zur Integration von neu zugewanderten Kindern und Jugendlichen in die Kindertagesförderung und die Schule) (link). This guideline is rather open to interpretation, however. Consequently, schooling of recently migrated children varies considerably according to different schools’ equipment; available spaces; qualifications and availability of teaching staff; course content; and inclusion in the regular class. Hardly any empirical investigations have compared these different administrations and their programmes to date.

Thus, the aim of the present project is to appraise conditions under which refugee children in Berlin are schooled. Seventeen primary schools were selected to form a representative sample to be examined. Classes are being visited in each of these schools, and interviews are being conducted with teaching staff as well as the parents of refugee children. There will also be conversations with experts from the administrative sector as well as NGO representatives. The interviews and ethnographic observations of the school day will be analysed with respect to different topics, challenges and requirements.

The results will be published in a handout, which will be distributed and discussed during a public podium discussion, to which the examined schools have also been invited.