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Conference discusses migration challenges for education systems

The conference formally closed the consultation process initiated in July 2008 through a Commission Green Paper focusing on the question how education policies may better address the challenges posed by immigration and internal EU mobility flows.

Participants welcomed the debate launched by the Commission and confirmed the importance of developing policies for improving the educational achievement of pupils from a migrant background in Europe's education systems. They also strongly supported the idea of further exchanges of experience at EU level on policies and measures with this aim.

During the conference the positive contribution of migrant children to European education systems was underlined, as well as the need to ensure that these systems offer them possibilities to develop to their full potential. It was also stressed that the improvement of the achievement levels of children with a migrant background is a collective endeavour which requires a strong commitment not only from schools, teachers, pupils and parents, but also from a variety of other actors at local, regional and national level, as well as from other policy areas in addition to education.

Three conference workshops focused on the topics of "Measures for newly-arrived migrant pupils", "The role of intercultural education" and "The role of languages". Participants confirmed the importance of the three topics, outlining the need for flexible arrangements adapted to individual needs, especially for newly-arrived children. They also said that intercultural education could benefit all children, and not just the migrant ones, and that integration and multiculturalism can go hand in hand in schools in the EU. In addition, there was consensus on the fundamental importance of developing strategies to ensure that migrant children achieve full command of the language(s) of instruction. Participants also discussed the role of the mother tongues of migrant children in their education process and ways of support to offer them in this respect.

To know more

• Conference programme
• Conference presentations
• Results of the public consultation on "Migration and mobility: challenges and opportunities for EU education systems": synthesis report, individual responses
• Focus on: Migration and education