EduForUM is a special thematic conference, the next edition of the conference ForUM – For Unity of Migrants 2019. The meeting became a real debate and cooperation platform for three groups of experts who can make some impact on migrants’ lives: representatives of government, community, and business. The event was devoted to the question of the education of migrants on different levels in Poland, especially in the city of Wroclaw and Lower Silesia region.
The new approach
Based on the results of the previous ForUM, we have determined the topic of the next conference. The main subject is focused on the chosen sphere where some problems in the process of integration and adaptation of migrants appear. That is why the topic of the special conference EduForUM is the education of migrants on different levels in Poland.
The large event
More than 100 representatives of government, business, universities, primary and secondary schools, and also non-governmental organizations from the whole Poland have visited the meeting which was divided into 3 panel discussions.
Continuously, one of the most important questions about the education of foreigners is learning the Polish language as a foreign one. This was indeed the key question of the first part of the conference. A discussion of our experts was connected to the teaching Polish for children and teenagers.
Organizers of the conference also took care of the diverse program of seminars and workshops conducted by the leading experts who shared their knowledge of phonetics, new methods of teaching the Polish language as the foreign one and the importance of intercultural competencies in communication with foreigners. During coffee breaks, participants could get to know each other closer, share experiences and contacts.
Problems identification and problems resolution
As a result of panel discussions devoted to schools, experts have come to the conclusion that today’s migration wave has a strong impact on primary and secondary schools.
The ability of effective communication in a foreign language is the most important aim of language education. However, pupils have to go through a long and difficult process to reach that goal. Therefore, experts claim that a lot of effort must be involved in order to give the pupil the feeling of safety at the start of learning. For getting such results, the implementation of tasks that are appropriate to the situations of communication of foreigners on a daily basis is essential.
It seems to be that foreign students have been studying in Polish universities for a long time. Consequently, these institutions have already developed the procedures of supporting migrants in learning Polish and adaptation in Poland. However, the organization of educational work that would have helped integration is still a tangible problem. For solving it, the constant analysis of foreigners’ needs and searching for its accomplishments are highly needed. During the discussion, the need for such conferences as ForUM, educational classes, seminars, and workshops was significantly emphasized for exchanging the leading experiences and support of teachers who work with foreigners.
Talking about the students from non-EU countries, experts paid close attention to the need of using all of the kinds of support, such as job fairs or internship programs accessible to people of all nationalities. The important news was that foreigners have a chance to have postgraduate studies for free.
Practical meeting: conclusions and results
The practical meeting was aimed to develop partnerships and find ways of improving present procedures. Representatives of the Ministry of Education, Board of Education, schools, and also President of Foundation Ukraine and Director of the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Wroclaw Artem Zozulia have taken part in this meeting.
A discussion was entirely dedicated to the need of providing cultural assistants and the possibility of additional financial support. Such an approach is directed to enhance the work of teachers with foreign pupils and their parents, to provide psychological help, to reduce the difference between teaching programs, and also to eliminate the language barrier.
Summing up, it is worth mentioning that universities and the government of the city of Wroclaw pay great attention to the foreign students. However, the valuable rise in the number of such students needs bringing more resources. We are proud of the results of the educational conference and thank all of the guests for participation.
Knowledge about the situation of migrants’ education in the Polish educational system was gathered in the prospectus. It will be the source of valuable experience and will also help to sort particular procedures related to foreigners in the Polish educational institutions.
