A recent assessment of Germany’s school system regarding the integration of refugee children, particularly following the large influx beginning in 2015, indicates a generally positive experience for students. Professor Nele McElvany, a leading educational researcher, highlighted numerous studies demonstrating that refugee children and adolescents felt safe and welcomed in German schools. “This may sound trivial, but it isn’t – being in a foreign country, with a foreign language and having experienced the trauma of displacement. It’s a significant achievement for the entire education system and the people who work within it” she stated.
Addressing concerns about declining academic performance, McElvany explained that while the changing student demographics – including a rise in children who do not speak German at home – contributed to observed declines in studies like the 2021 Iglu assessment of reading competency in primary school children, it was not the sole, or even primary, factor.
McElvany pointed to the coinciding disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and extended school closures as a significant contributor to learning loss. Her recent publication details the demonstrable negative impact of these closures. She also noted broader socio-economic shifts impacting learning conditions at home, such as access to quiet study spaces for children.
Professor McElvany holds a professorship in Empirical Educational Research at the Technical University of Dortmund and serves as Executive Director of the Institute for School Development Research at the University. She is widely recognized as the national director of the international Iglu school study in Germany.