So, it's a page four story, that has barely picked up any real discussion in Germany. The Turkish government came to the Germans and said that they'd like to finance/run a Turkish school system in Germany. A discussion is underway, and the Germans are looking for the mechanism where this might be permitted.
Would they be all over Germany? No. Right now....three locations are discussed: Frankfurt, Koln, and Berlin.
Public schools? No....private schools. The state authorities would list out the mandated things that would cause accreditation and ensure a proper environment.
German government concerns? Well....they basically don't want this to be a Erdogan-indoctrination 'center'.
Public reaction? So far....almost none.
Problems?
I could see three central issues:
1. If you found logic to agree to this....what causes Putin not to come calling and suggest that Russian private schools also be granted? What about the Kurds....wouldn't they want Kurdish private schools as well?
2. When you say a school would exist in Frankfurt, it's true that within a 10-mile circle, there's probably a population of 50,000 Turks. Just trying to imagine the subway or path to the school each day for 3,000 or 4,000 kids.....is a problem by itself. Turkish kids in Wiesbaden? That'd require 75 minutes on buses and S-Bahn connections (one-way) to reach some central Frankfurt school.
3. Even if you built the school like this....would the kids want to attend it? That is the mystery question.
Cost factor? Unknown.
Would Turkish teachers be brought into Germany.....to make this work? Unknown.
Likely to have consequences five to ten years down the line? Maybe.
2 comments:
Would this be full school programing and not just a supplemental? My kids went to German school in Australia before we came, but that was a Saturday morning thing only.
This whole discussion has been quietly going on without the press really laying out what the agenda is about. It's only three regions (Koln, Berlin and Frankfurt) where they would exist (at least in the first couple of years). Turkey would appear to be the sole sponsor of the deal, and it'd be 'free' for Turkish-German kids. As for the instructors? Unknown, but I would assume they'd get a visa and be brought into Germany. Just on the cost factor....renting the buildings and getting the instructors situated...it'd probably run to 100 million Euro each year for the three schools.
If they concentrate strictly on Turkish educational goals, and speak Turkish in the school...I see a problem in that 95-percent of Turkish-German kids marginally know any Turkish language. Then you have to wonder, at the end of the schooling business....will this help or hinder the kid in getting apprentice offers. I suspect it'd hinder the kids, and Turkey would come to offer apprentice positions back in Turkey to make up for the 'loss'. It would have a dramatic effort if 5,000 Turkish-German kids left each year because they couldn't get ahead in the apprentice situation.
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