Education Days for Ethnic Minority Students and Their Parents

The project deals with the issue of young people with non-Danish ethnic backgrounds being less likely than Danish young people to continue basic education with an upper-secondary or similar education (upper-secondary school leaving examination, higher preparatory examination, higher preparatory technical examination, etc.) and/or a vocationally qualifying education. Moreover, there is a tendency for young immigrants and refugees to choose narrower educational programmes than Danish young people.

Based on the trends described above, the project's objective is to get more minority young people to seek further education after finishing basic and upper-secondary school. Additionally, the project seeks to provide them with the competencies to make qualified, more varied and realistic educational choices so that they are, to a greater extent, able to complete their education and find employment.

The project, which began initially in Avedøre Stationsby in 1996, has comprised initiatives aimed respectively at both young people and their parents and at parents alone. The background for involving the young people's parents is that parents often have a great influence on the young people's educational choices. For example, parents might want their child to choose certain programmes or a young person might not have the support of his or her parents to seek further education. Generally, a common characteristic is that many of the parents to education-seeking young people with other ethnic backgrounds have very little knowledge of the Danish educational system and career opportunities. Information to the parents is, therefore, of paramount importance.

One of the initiatives under the project is an annual Education Day for young people and their parents. The Education Day is arranged by a local ethnic football association who felt it was important that young people and their parents have a better understanding of the various educational opportunities. On the Education Day, the participants are given the opportunity to speak with people from other ethnic backgrounds who are trained in various professions or have various educations. At the same time, they receive a greater understanding of the Danish educational system and information on employment opportunities in the different professions.

Another initiative with the goal of helping parents help their children to choose an educational or professional path is parental visits to different educational institutions and educational and vocational orientation for parents. Here, parents receive specific information and are given the opportunity to ask questions and acquire a first-hand impression of the educational institutions. To ensure that parents with poor Danish language skills can also take part in the initiatives, interpreters participate in the activities.

The project, which was originally started in 1996 by participants from the local ethnic football association, is still running today. The annual Education Day costs approximately DKK 5-6,000, which covers food, drinks and gifts for the participants who come and speak about their own experiences with various educational programmes. Previously, the project was funded by the 'Job Shop', the local Secretariat for Urban Regeneration and the local School and Guidance Office, however, today the project is funded by the local primary and lower secondary school, Engholm School. Most of the speakers participate as unpaid volunteers.

Approximately 100 parents and young people participate in the Education Day each year, while the other activities attract fewer participants. The many participants have learned about and been motivated to seek further education. The project functions as a good supplement to the individual interviews with a school and career guidance counsellor, which are offered to all young people in Denmark.

The project has been used as inspiration for the 'All young people are needed' campaign, which the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs initiated with a view to getting as many young immigrants and refugees to seek further education as their Danish classmates.

In Vollsmose, in the Municipality of Odense, similar education days and activities for young people and their parents have taken place since 2001. In addition, the local youth guidance programme in Vollsmose acts as a contact centre where young people and their parents can come on a daily basis with questions regarding education.

EMP/SKILLS - Skills and Employability Department