Language courses and integration process for children (9-10 years old)

Question

Hello Wefugees Community,

I just received a question from a social worker in Italy and I would like some help in answering it. This woman she's working with arrived in Italy approximately 8 years ago with her newborn son seeking asylum. The father of the child instead ended up in Germany and acquired there the refugee status.

Now they are getting family reunion here in Germany - precisely in Hamburg - and they are trying to understand what kind of integration process and language courses are going to be provided to the child. Since the child is not going to travel to Germany before a few months, they were looking for a better explanation about what he's going to go through to prepare him the best as possible to it.

Is he going to join elementary school right away? What kind of education is going to be provided to him here in Germany in order to make him learn the language as fast as possible?

Could anybody provide a clear answer for this couple and I'll take care of passing it on to them?  If you need further clarifications please ask and I'll try to get them letting me know more about it.

Thanks loads for your help and efforts.

Best,
Paolo

Answer 1

Forwarding to the community @Jan 's Answer:

Hi Paolo,
 
there is a pretty good explanation, provided by the administration of Hamburg, how school-aged children are integrated into the educational system of Hamburg: ****://tinyurl.***/jgzmdlu
(German). The child will have to pass an entry-level test, he hasn't necessarily to start at the 1st grade of an elementary school.
 
Take care!
Jan