Thanks to the concept and installation of the learning hub, the education system has been able to respond quickly and flexibly to the increasing number of children and young people from Ukraine. Minister of Education Dominik Hasler received the idea on the spot and was impressed.
Now, 23 students aged seven to seventeen have been studying at the learning center, which has been located in the Swarovski complex in Triesen for about six months. “We find the ideal conditions for our lessons here,” explains Stefan Biedermann, one of the five teachers who take care of the children and young people here. The large common room and smaller group rooms allow for modern instruction for more individualized work. “This is especially important because children and young people come with different backgrounds,” Biedermann continues.
Education Minister Dominik Hasler was visibly touched by the warm welcome: “It is nice to see how children and young people are supported here in a sensitive and comprehensive way, despite terrible experiences and sometimes severe trauma.” The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education emphasized that everything is being done to ensure that children and young people who have fled the war zone have as much normal life and prospects for the future as possible.
During his visit, Hasler also took the opportunity to thank teachers and all those responsible in the Liechtenstein school system: “Whether it is in the learning center, in the regular classrooms or in another position, the integration of new students works so well because the teachers and school staff make a huge effort. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved.”
There are about 100 students from Ukraine
The goal of the learning center is to integrate children and young people into regular classrooms. Therefore, children and young people, most of whom do not know German, learn German first in IK-DaZ (German as a Second Language) classes. As soon as they have sufficient knowledge of German to attend regular classes, they are integrated into a regular classroom in their school district, after about three months. In July 2023, about 100 children and young people from Ukraine are studying in the Liechtenstein school system.
Creating a team of specialists
It should also be possible to use the experience of the training center and the integration of Ukrainian students in the future. Based on the conceptual idea of the teachers, a specialized group should be created for the successful integration of refugees in Liechtenstein schools. The purpose of this is to develop a concept of measures for successful pedagogical, social and linguistic integration, as well as to increase the effectiveness of teaching foreign students in FL schools and to support its implementation.
Native language and culture lessons
In many European countries, embassies, consulates, or associations have been offering courses in the native language and culture (HSK) for several decades. After the summer vacation, the offer should also be designed for Ukrainian schoolchildren, in one location in the Upper and one in the Lower Country. This supplementary instruction is linked to primary school and serves to ensure that children who grow up multilingual can retain knowledge of their mother tongue and native culture. The teaching of the mother tongue and culture of Ukrainian children is currently financially supported for two years.
