Wels as a model region for integration?

The Welser FP started the political autumn yesterday with the topic of integration: Mayor Andreas Rabl and deputy mayor and integration officer Gerhard Kroiß presented several demands and measures to advance integration in the city.

On the one hand, the promotion of German in the education sector should be further promoted. Since 2016, Wels has been supporting children from the age of three onwards in language acquisition. An evaluation in 2020 showed a “significant improvement in German skills in all areas,” says Deputy Mayor Gerhard Kroiß. The city of Wels is currently covering the costs, and the state should in future support language training throughout Upper Austria from the age of three. In addition, a second compulsory kindergarten year is needed to ensure language acquisition.

The promotion of German must also be expanded in elementary schools, says Kroiß: “Some children cannot follow lessons due to language deficits. Mandatory German lessons in the afternoon would make sense here.” In addition, kindergartens and elementary schools should be able to exchange information more easily about the children’s level of knowledge – it is currently difficult in terms of data protection law to, for example, pass on the results of language level surveys from kindergarten to the school.

The city wants to provide funds to enable language support in after-school care centers. Rabl and Kroiß are demanding the same from the state for afternoon care in schools. In addition, training workshops are to be set up for young people with language deficits. Rabl also calls for compulsory work for asylum seekers so that they can be used for municipal work. “We reject general access to the labor market because that would attract more asylum seekers,” says Rabl.

Due to its size and willingness to cooperate, Wels is ideal to act as a model region for integration. The motto should be “Integration is mandatory”. More money is needed, but also coercive measures to “convince migrants unwilling to integrate of the need for integration.” There are already discussions with the federal and state governments about this, which are now being intensified.

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