Academic achievement among different groups in Germany

Migration background is a defining criterion of German official statistics to describe a population consisting of immigrants since 1949 and their descendants.

• 2.1 Situation in Austria

• 4.1 By status or generation
• 4.2 After the geopolitical origins of immigrants
• 4.3 milieu

• 5.1 migration background and health
• 5.2 migration background and school success 5.2.1 Vocational successes
• 5.2.2 Different academic success in East and West Germany
• 5.2.3 Results of the PISA study

Definition of the Federal Statistical Office

Since the micro-census of 2005, the State Statistical Offices and the Federal Statistical Office data to indirectly determine a migration background. This is based on a modification of the micro-census 2004 Act, which provides for the inclusion of questions to determine the migration background in the surveys from 2005 to 2012. Specifically, information on immigration, nationality and immigration of the respective respondents and their parents are requested. As persons defined with a migration background " all after 1949 to the present territory of the Federal Republic of Germany immigrants, as well as all foreigners born in Germany and all parent born in Germany as a German -born with at least one immigrant after 1949 or as a foreigner in Germany ".

Thus, ethnic German immigrants and their children are among the people with a migration background. These persons must have no personal experience of migration. Every third person with a migration background living in Germany since birth.

In 2006 lived according to this definition, 15.3 million people with a migration background in Germany, this corresponded to 18.6% of the population. In 2009 the number of people increased with migration background in Germany to 16.0 million, or 19.6 % of the population. The growth is due to the increase in the number of German citizens with migration background, as the number of foreigners in Germany has stagnated at 7.2 million since about 10 years.

With 10.4 million represent the immigrated since 1950 - that's the population with its own migration experience - two thirds of all people with a migration background. 2006 had 7.3 million or 8.9 % of the population and 47 % of people with a migration background are foreign nationals. People with a migration background and German nationality in 2006 included 7.9 million or 9.5 % of the population and 53 % of people with a migration background. People with a migration background are on average significantly younger than those without a migration background ( 33.8 versus 44.6 years). In the younger age cohorts are more strongly represented than in the old. In the under-five set people with a migration background in 2008 one third of this population.

In the 2011 census a slightly modified definition of migrant background is assumed. Here not immigration is queried after 1949, but after 1955.

A slightly different definition was made ​​in the immigrant survey Regulation of 29 September 2010, which applies to the area of the Federal Employment Agency, it is that a migrant background is available if 1 person does not have German nationality or 2nd place of birth the person outside the current borders of the Federal Republic of Germany, and immigration in the present territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, after 1949 took place or 3rd place of birth of at least one parent of the person outside the current borders of the Federal Republic of Germany as well as a migration of this parent in the present territory the Federal Republic of Germany took place after 1949.

According to Article 3 of the Basic Law as under the General Equal Treatment Act ( AGG), it is forbidden to connect with legal consequences of "ethnic origin " of a person. No one so because of the fact that he is, or his ancestors immigrated to Germany, are discriminated against or preferred.

Two years after the introduction of an " integration and participation law" in the State of Berlin, after which the proportion of people with a migration background in different social groups to be detected, 2012 it was announced by the response of the Senate to an elected request that correct measurements of the proportion of persons would require an immigrant background in the public sector or among politicians surveys, which are not legally permitted.

An example of the problems of detecting a migration background reputable, provides the installation "More MPs with a migration background ", which published the " media service integration " after the election of 2013: Here is only partially answered questions at press offices, " solved " interview statements and Having similar, deputies assigned a " migration context", while on the other hand, publicly available information about foreign birthplaces of deputies ( known example Ursula von der Leyen ), from which automatically results in a migration background, were not included in the numbers.

Statistics by Census 2011

According to the 2011 census 18.9 % of the population had a migration background in Germany. The immigrant population is concentrated particularly in the metropolitan areas of southern and western Germany from Munich to Ruhr. In the largest cities, the following picture emerged:

Use of the term

The term " person with an immigrant background " is not synonymous with the term "foreigner", as not synonymous with the terms "immigrant" or " migrant", and is often incorrectly used as:

• Many former foreigners have become naturalized, so today are German nationals, but they have, if they have immigrated after 1949, still an immigrant background.
• There are foreigners who have already migrated before 1950 to Germany and not naturalized until today. According to the original definition of the statistics are neither they nor their descendants "People with a migration background ", according to the more recent definition of immigrant Monitoring Ordinance of 2010 yet.
• Also, people who have immigrated to Germany as German (especially ethnic Germans, but also randomly born abroad children of German parents ) are considered " persons with a migration background".
• People who are born as a German in Germany, have also an immigrant background, if one parent is German and the other parent foreigners (or born abroad and immigrated after 1949 ) is.
• German with a foreign parent who is never immigrated to Germany, according to the definition do not have a migration background.
• Since the amendment to the citizenship law ( § 4 para 3 of the Nationality Act ) is a since 1 January 2000 Born in domestic child whose parents are both foreigners, German, if a parent at this time for eight years has his usual stay legally in Germany and has a permanent right of residence. Between 18 and 23 it is obliged under § 29 of the Nationality Act, against the governmental entity to declare whether it wants to keep the German citizenship, to which it normally has to give the other (s ) Citizenship ( s) or whether it is the prefer other nationality and the German waived ( for declaration, option coercion) see: Option model

The term " immigrant " was coined by the Essen Pedagogy Professor Ursula Boos Nünning already in the 1990s. Background of the neologism was the fact that many people from post-communist countries immigrated after the fall of the Iron Curtain in Germany who claimed to receive, as an ethnic German within the meaning of Article 116 of the Basic Law and § 6 BVFG immediately the German nationality. Nevertheless, these similar from existing German population had problems to deal with as immigrants who came to Germany as a foreigner (eg the problem of inadequate command of the German language ). The term " immigrant " was perceived as a solution for those cases in which foreigners were naturalized. The fact that the naturalized ( as Aussiedler ) are classified under the heading " German ", the phenomenon of migration effects can not be adequately captured methodically.

About the way of children and youth report of the federal government in 1998, on the Boos - Nünning cooperated, the term was then made ​​its way into the public. The term is increasingly being used, especially since 2006, in particular in response to the fact that most children born in Germany of foreign nationals are automatically granted German citizenship at birth since 2000. Before that were for people living in Germany who were born overseas or have parents who have moved from abroad since 1950, usually the terms " German foreign origin " or " foreigners" or the corresponding nationality ( Turks, Italians, Spaniards, etc., also in the combination " German Turk" etc.).

The Federal Statistical Office relied on the definition of the micro census 2005 for his part on the notion was " science and politics have long been familiar " and become " more and more often used despite its bulkiness. " He hit out, " that the person concerned does not only the immigrants themselves - that is, the actual migrants - to count, but also some of their descendants born in Germany ", however, the Office acknowledges that it is difficult to use the term " to use people with a migration background " clear-cut. .

The term " immigrant " has become widespread in the media and in everyday language, the use is not always correct. So " people with a migration background ", " foreign residents " replaced the term commonly the vague term which, strictly speaking, never made ​​any sense ( oxymoron ) because foreigners are not in possession of civil rights and citizens do not " foreign" are. Also in this case, but is easily overlooked that the two terms refer to different groups. Even more confusing is the confusion when the term " person with an immigrant background " is replaced by the tempting shorter word " migrant" and this is then used as in a number comparison of social groups elsewhere with a different meaning again.

Also, the term " people with a migration background " was captured by the mechanism known as a " euphemism treadmill ". Many now face the same connotations as in the term "alien " one. Therefore, the word " immigrant " has also been proposed as a " word of the year ". The daily newspaper ( taz) called her readers to the end of 2010 to propose a new term. The most common "man", "foreigner ", " New German ", " immigrants ", " new citizens" and " immigrants " have been proposed - but none of the proposals was able to convince the editor: " How to keep the realization that many wish another word, but no right -grip is at hand. "

Opposition to the proposal, "People with a migration background " as a category of police crime statistics (PKS ) to introduce, was vehemently protested in January 2009.

Meanwhile, the term is also jokingly used in the media in non- political contexts ( " German words and their immigrant background ", " nausea with a migration background ", " king dining with a migration background "). On May 1, 2011 in Halberstadt opened the exhibition " Holy! Foreign? Church treasures of the Middle Ages ( with a migration background ) in Quedlinburg Cathedral and the Cathedral of Halberstadt ".

Situation in Austria

The definition of persons with migration background equivalent to that of Austria by the Economic Commission for Europe ( UNECE) published " Recommendations for the 2010 censuses of population and housing ." Thus is called in Austria people with a migration background as such if both parents were born abroad. In addition, a distinction is made ​​between:

• First-generation immigrants: individuals whose own birthplace as that of both parents is abroad.
• Second-generation migrants: people whose own birthplace in Austria lies and that both parents abroad.

By this definition, 1.427 million people were in Austria in 2008, an immigrant background. 1.075 million of them have moved to Austria itself (and thus correspond to the first-generation immigrants ). The remaining 0.353 million people were born in Austria, the birthplace of both parents, however, lies abroad. Almost half of people with a migration background is owned by the Austrian citizenship.

However, the term is used in schools for pupils with non- German mother tongue, so that the numbers can be easily confused or diluted.

Synonyms and antonyms

Synonymous with the concept of people with a migration background of the allochthonous is needed. Antonym of these terms is the term indigenous. With respect to Germany is for people without an immigrant background also (usually jokingly ) Biodeutschen of the speech.

It should be noted that the concept of the German -born Germans has no antonym to the term people with a migration background, because the latter also includes ethnic German immigrants with a German citizenship (eg ethnic German immigrants ) and their derivatives.

For naturalized citizens with an immigrant background and the derogatory term " German passport " will be used. As a German passport at first mainly repatriates were referred, the numbered according to the law of the home country to the German nationality and to other migrants occupied a privileged legal position. Although often perceived as foreign immigrants, they were not legally as foreigners.

Later, the term underwent a re-evaluation, especially in circles of the New Right, as a derogatory term for German with migration background. A "pass German " identity is frequently contrasted with the concept of ethnic Germans.

Composition of the population with a migration background in Germany

By status or generation

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the amount of people sat with an immigrant background in 2005 as follows:

• Invasive alien (1st generation): about 36 percent
• In Germany -born foreigners (2nd and 3rd generation): about 11 percent
• Repatriates: about 12 percent
• Naturalized immigrants who: about 20 percent
• Persons with at least one immigrant parent or parents of foreign nationality: about 21 percent

According to the geopolitical origins of immigrants

Europe is quantitatively very important for the immigration to Germany. 59.9 % of immigrated since 1950 came in 2008 from Europe. 23.5% of them are from the 27 Member States of the European Union. The eleven countries of birth in 2008 were:

• Turkey ( 14.2 % of all immigrants ),
• Russia ( 8.4%),
• Poland (6.9%),
• Italy (4.2% )
• Serbia and Montenegro ( 3.4% ) (since 2006 two states, since 2008 also new state of Kosovo )
• Kazakhstan (3.3%),
• Romania (3.0%),
• Croatia (2.6%),
• Greece ( 2.2%)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (2.2%)
• Ukraine (1.9%)

Extensive statistical information is also found in the ten graphics of a Spiegel Online article dated 17 October 2010.

After milieu

The sine 2008 study divides people with a migration background in eight social milieus that differ as follows:

The pragmatic modern center of the migrant population who seek social integration and a harmonious life in safe conditions

Classic Up - environment which aims to achieve through performance and determination of material prosperity and social recognition

Strives Young, performance-oriented environment with bi- cultural identity that identifies with the Western lifestyle and according to professional success and intense life

Enlightened, global thinking education environment with a cosmopolitan, multicultural attitude and diverse intellectual interests

Pre-modern, socially and culturally isolated environment, arrested in the patriarchal and religious traditions of the region of origin

Traditional Blue Collar milieu of labor migrants and repatriates who aspires for material security for himself and his children

Social and cultural milieu uprooted, the problem of freedom and home / identity seeks and strives for money, prestige and consumption

Maladjusted youth milieu with deficient identity and perspective that wants to have fun and be denied the expectations of the majority society

Table: . Sine - migrant milieus in the Federal Republic of Germany in 2008 The Percentages indicate the proportions of the environment in the total population.

Social position

Migration background and health

People with a migration background in the present generation have poorer health prospects. Maternal and infant mortality has increased. The mortality rate of infants and young children is increased by 20 %. Toddlers and school children are disproportionately at risk from accidents.

The social epidemiological research has repeatedly pointed out that a particular strain of migrants is also detectable in the second and third generations.

Migration background and school success

Academic success

Thränhardt referred to statements about students with an immigrant background as a " little clear-cut and meaningful ." There are both groups that do very well in the German school system, as well as those that perform very poorly. Least school success, the groups of nationals of Italy and Turkey: in addition to a high number of school leavers can be found in both groups, a particularly large group without training even if a degree was achieved ( 56.1 % of Turks and 50.3 % of Italians in relation to 9.3% of the Germans). The majority of students in these two groups can be found in addition to the main school, only small percentages visiting high schools and junior high schools.

Among students with Spanish, Russian, Polish, Croatian and Bosnian membership also, however, there are many high school students and high school students. You achieve similar success at school as the German students. Likewise, since a few years the rate of high school students of Vietnamese origin above the average, as have the studies of Beuchling shown.

In children with ex - Yugoslavian background are academic performance in significantly better range than their Turkish and Italian peers, but not as well as among ethnic and German students ( see tables).

Children with a Greek immigrant go statistically more frequently to high school as a German. No other immigrant group in Germany has more success in school than the Vietnamese More than 50 percent of their students make the transition to high school. To seek a higher percentage of Vietnamese youth high school than German.

When immigrants from Muslim countries, differ greatly between countries of origin are observed in the formation of participation. Visit the proportions of males than German nationality, a further type of school (Realschule, Gymnasium), 2006 ranged from 50.2 percent ( Iranians ) to 12.7 percent ( Lebanese ).

According to Cornelia Kristen (2002) students receive from some migrant groups, despite similar performance poorer school grades. This mean that they have to attend inferior schools.

The notes are the most important factor for the type of school, but not the only one. German visit while poor grades rarely the primary school as a foreigner. And you will need more often to secondary school. In the transition to high school but there is no effect of nationality more if you control the notes. Foreign children have particularly poor chances to go to a grammar school or a secondary school if they attend a school with many other foreign children. In such schools, they show poorer performance and achieve lower grades than on socially heterogeneous schools. This result takes on special importance in view of the pronounced ethnic segregation trends in German primary school system. It is precisely in segregated school systems reach migrant children especially common in elementary school classes, whose student body is relatively homogeneously composed performance at a low level.

Alba et al. (2004 ) found that especially sections Turkish and Italian immigrant children in the German education system, bad and did not provide the services that correspond to their intelligence. Greek migrants, however, performed well.

Different academic success in East and West Germany

In all eastern states, there are more young people under foreign high school graduates and less special schools than in all western countries. In Brandenburg as much as 44 percent of all foreign youths leave school with the Abitur. Thus, there is in Brandenburg even more high school graduates among immigrants than among Germans. There are early support programs ( particularly for ethnic ) and coverage kindergartens.

Results of the PISA study

With the special study Where Immigrant Students Succeed - A comparative review of performance and engagement from PISA 2003 ( German title: Where have students with an immigrant background most likely to succeed - A comparative review of performance and engagement in PISA 2003) was to determine whether immigrant children in the school system are as successful as native students.

A first result was that not a decisive link between the amount of immigrant students in the sample countries on the one hand and the extent of the differences observed between immigrant children and native students performance differences on the other. This belies the suggestion, according to which high levels of immigration affecting negatively on integration.

When comparing countries, this study Germany ranks last in the integration of migrant children of the second generation. Although the migrant children from the study willingness to learn and a positive attitude were attested, their chances of success in the German education system are lower than in any other of the 17 countries studied:

• On average, children of immigrants compared with native children by 48 points back; in Germany, however, by 70 points. The largest differences are found in the natural sciences, at least in reading.
• While in almost all other participating countries migrant children achieve higher performance scores in the second generation, this fall once more extremely in Germany: the second-generation immigrant children are behind their classmates back about two years. About 40 % of them do not achieve the basic knowledge of the performance level 2 in mathematics and also cut in reading similar from bad.

More detailed, point to the PISA 2000 study builds studies that result is not the origin as such, but (in addition to the spoken in the home language [ Esser 2001; Kristen 2002 ] ), the educational level of the parents, especially the mother, decides on educational attainment - a connection that was equally noted for the local population.

The fact that young people of foreign origin who are themselves immigrated, achieve better results after this table, as young people of foreign origin, but would be a statistical fallacy. For the families of the students born in Germany of foreign origin are mostly from Turkey, and Turkish origin migrants cut in PISA particularly badly. Among young people who are themselves immigrated, adolescents increased representation of ethnic families. These are usually more powerful. So you can not say that the situation worsens in Germany over the generations. On the contrary: Within each origin groups, the educational situation from generation to generation seems to get better.

For each individual country of origin, born in Germany of young people of foreign origin better results than the foreign-born adolescents. Example that was shown for the field of mathematics for the case of young people from the former Yugoslavia and Turkey. It applies in a similar way for other groups of origin and the areas science and reading skills:

It is possible that the poor performance of young people is a result of said test -heavy tasks with migration background in PISA. The tasks in PISA differed in Sprachlastigkeit. In particular, tasks that measure technical skills to come out with minimal verbal instructions and little text, while others are very talked -heavy.

It was checked whether students solved better with a migration background less talked -heavy tasks. This was not the case. Instead, the opposite indicates: Students with an immigrant background perform slightly better in voice -heavy tasks from relatively non-verbal than. The reasons for this are unclear. It is clear that the low average competence of students with a migration background is not due to worse results in language-specific sub-skills.

Migration background and integration into the labor market

Since January 2005, the network acts Integration through Qualification nationwide to improve the integration into the labor market for people with a migration background. Since January 2011, there exists a support program that creates and supports to improve the integration into the labor market structures and process chains.