SEATTLE — Since the civil war in Syria started, many European countries have faced challenges to their governance structures, social structures and budgetary frameworks. Out of all of the EU nations, Germany has taken in the most refugees. As changes in leadership occur across Europe and the U.S., Germany has steadfastly worked to ensure that access to education in Germany is available to Syrian refugees.
Higher education admissions have proven difficult for refugees. The application process is lengthy and applicants must demonstrate financial means and proficiency in the German language to be accepted. The funding that is required is not for tuition, but for books and other supplies.
There are some government-backed programs for which students can apply, but refugees can only apply until after 15 months from receiving asylum. The process alone to receive asylum and then receive funding can take more than two years.
In efforts to improve education in Germany, some institutions offer on-site validation of credentials without original documents. Refugees who were forced to promptly flee their homes in most cases did not have time to grab their school transcripts. Other institutions are allowing refugees to enroll in courses under “guest” status without cost. This program is specifically targeted to asylum-seeking refugees waiting for their applications to be processed.
For those students who have not had exposure to the German language, Leuphana Digital School created a 12-week online course with support by the German Federal Employment Agency to focus on learning the language. Language is not exclusively the focus of this course; there is also information aimed to help prepare and facilitate the student’s enrollment into a formal degree program.
Immigrating from war-torn Syria is hard enough for the healthy, but for the disabled, it proves to be far more challenging. At this point, Germany has received more than one million Syrian refugees. Of that million, there are many who are disabled and require special medical care and attention in regard to education.
An organization called ComIn helps integrate new arrivals with disabilities in Munich. They are taught German language classes, computer courses and mobility training. ComIn is also working with the central government to develop language classes using braille to help people who are visually impaired.
Anal al-Hakim is a young man from Syria who fled to Germany for medical care, improved infrastructure for mobility and education opportunities. He was born with craniofacial fibrous dysplasia. He fell in love with Germany after his family brought him there for medical care.
He experienced the same issues that other refugees experienced, but being disabled exacerbated his challenges. He taught himself computer programming and launched an NGO called Make it German.
Make it German is a tool that al-Hakim hopes will improve education in Germany for his fellow Syrians and other Arabic-speaking newcomers. It provides free advice on all aspects of life in Germany, including study group opportunities and how to find a job.
As politics change in Germany, there will be many new challenges not just for Syrian refugees but for all German citizens. There may not be a new action done by the central government, but with continued support by NGOs and people like al-Hakim, we can expect education in Germany to improve for all inhabitants.
– Brian Faust
Photo: Flickr