European Trade Union Committee for Education

On 16 and 17 May 2018, the first case study for the identification of challenges, concrete ways and joint social partners’ initiatives to effectively integrate migrants and refugees in education took place in Madrid, Spain, organised with the support of the ETUCE member organisation FeSP-UGT, partner to the project “European Sectoral Social Partners in Education promoting effective integration of migrants and refugees in education”. The study delegation, including ETUCE and EFEE representatives, the research expert accompanying the project as well as a video-maker and one representative from the project advisory group in Denmark (DLF) had the opportunity to learn more about the impact of enduring budget cuts, education system segmentation and the lack of a national strategy addressing specifically the integration of migrants and refugees in schools and education institutions. While learning from the different social partners, school communities, parents and students representatives’ perspectives and good practices in the course of the first day, the delegation had the chance to witness the difficult professional and working conditions of teachers and educators dealing with students of migrant origins and from disadvantaged background. Concluding the visit, the delegation raised key issues related to migrants’ integration with representatives from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.