Annual Report

Teacher Training in Germany: Preparing Educators for Increasingly Diverse Classrooms

Policy Brief | September 2016

Every third school child in Germany has a migration background. For most teachers, it has long been the norm to teach pupils with different origins and native languages. However, teachers in most federal states are still inadequately prepared for everyday school life in Germany as an immigration country. This is shown by the joint analysis conducted by the Expert Council's Research Unit and the Mercator Institute for Literacy and Language Education. The core recommendation: basic training in language development and intercultural education must be guaranteed for all teachers in Germany.

Improving Education for Migrant-Background Students: A Transatlantic Comparison of School Funding

Study | June 2016

The educational needs of migrant-background students in primary and secondary schools pose a growing challenge for policymakers and educators around the world. For policymakers, school funding designs are an important means of influencing how schools and school districts serve their students who are immigrants or the children of immigrants.

In a joint report, the U.S.-based Migration Policy Institute and the Expert Council's Research Unit shed light on supplementary funding mechanisms targeted to migrant-background students, and some of the key challenges and strategies decisionmakers are wrestling with as they attempt to ensure that additional resources are used effectively. The joint research project was funded by the Stiftung Mercator.

Doubly Disadvantaged? Children and Young People with a Migration Background in the German Education System

Expert Report I May 2016

The Expert Council's Research Unit shows in this expert report that children and young people from immigrant families are doubly disadvantaged over their entire educational careers: as a result of their immigrant background, but even more importantly due to their social origin. This is the result of an in-depth analysis of the current research on the double disadvantage conducted by the Expert Council's Research Unit. Based on the analysis, the expert report provides recommendations for policy and practice as well as for future research.

Global Migration Governance: Germany as an Architect of International Migration Policy

Policy Brief l March 2016 

No country in the world can overcome the challenges posed by migration on its own, but the international laws governing migration management are similar to a patchwork quilt. Since the turn of the millennium, however, global migration policy has undergone rapid change. Germany has been increasingly active: in 2017/18, it will, together with Morocco, chair the Global Forum on Migration and Development. It has become one of the architects of international migration policy. The Expert Council's Research Unit recommends: the political departments in Germany should not remain in their current crisis mode, but should agree to long-term guiding principles for migration foreign policy as soon as possible in order to ensure that the international dialogue on migration is further advanced in collaborative efforts.

One Step Ahead. International Students Improve Professional Opportunities through Practical Experience

Policy Brief l February 2016

International students are viewed as the skilled professionals of tomorrow, but too many of them do not get off to a good career start on the German labour market. They can significantly improve their prospects through volunteer work and internships. The survey of 2,565 master's degree students shows: anyone who volunteers speaks better German, has more contact to domestic students and feels a greater sense of belonging in Germany than other students who don't. In addition, volunteering contributes to creating networks and to acquiring skills relevant to the job application process. Volunteer work is therefore just as important as internships for professional opportunities later on. The Expert Council's Research Unit recommends: universities should establish networks with the private sector, local actors and volunteer agencies to give international students better access to internships and volunteer work.

Funding for Impact? Immigrant Students and Supplementary School Funding in Germany

Policy Brief | January 2016

School funding in Germany’s 16 states (Laender) does not adequately account for the poorer educational opportunities of the country’s sizable immigrant population. Today, even schools in challenging circumstances are sometimes overlooked by school authorities and receive just as much supplementary funding as the average school, in some cases, even less, in spite of their greater need. An analysis of teacher allocation in the Laender shows that only nine of the 16 Laender have put in place indicators with which to measure a school’s individual need for supplementary funding. Going forward, the Laender should allocate a substantial portion of their subsidies based on school and neighbourhood data. In addition to data, they should also make use of the expert knowledge of local school administrators who allocate the remaining resources.

Ageing in Diversity. Care and Care Preferences in Germany as an Immigration Country

Policy Brief l November 2015

Germany's immigration society is ageing, which gives rise to new challenges, needs and expectations when it comes to care for the sick and elderly. Language skills, religious affiliation, cultural background and the sex of the care professional are central aspects of culturally sensitive care. But research on the relationship between care of the sick and elderly and migration has not supplied much reliable data about what people with and without a migration background expect of care. To at least gain insight into some aspects, the Policy Brief presents the data of the SVR Integration Barometer on care preferences and provides recommendations for action for low threshold access to advisory and information services and more culturally sensitive care Services.

Safe Access. The Humanitarian Admission Programmes for Syrian Refugees in Germany

Policy Brief l October 2015

Half of the Syrian population has fled the country – and those seeking protection are increasingly setting off on the irregular and often dangerous trip across the Mediterranean or across land to apply for asylum on European soil. The current crisis shows how urgently ways are needed to provide safe and legal access for refugees fleeing to Europe. The Policy Brief looks at Germany's humanitarian admission programmes which are a useful complement to the asylum procedure and could serve as a model for a coordinated European admission programme. It provides 8 recommendations for policymakers at EU, federal and Länder level.

Young Refugees. Challenges and Opportunities for the Host Country

To The Point | July 2015

(Only available in German)

Asylum-seekers are on average much younger than the German population. More than half are under the age of 25 and their numbers are growing. Laender and municipalities thus face the challenge of making it possible for them to attend day care and school and guaranteeing their right to education. Young refugees should also be able to pursue training. This creates opportunities for participation and facilitates their subsequent integration into the labour market. Young refugees are also an opportunity for a demographically ageing country like Germany.