Guidelines

These guidelines are addressed to the integration of immigrant students and target the parents of immigrant students. The ten steps proposed to the user, and which do not have to be followed in chronological order, start with the identification of the multiple barriers that immigrant parents and students may have to face when wishing to integrate in the educational system of a new country. The ten steps gradually guide parents into acquiring information on school and the educational system of the host country (steps 1 and 2); on empowering them to perform on behalf of their children or themselves in the school environment (steps 3 and 4); on gaining confidence to address cultural differences and talk to the class teacher and headteacher (steps 5, 6 and 7); and in seeking the appropriate support both outside and within the school environment for their children and for themselves as parents of immigrant children (steps 8, 9 and 10).
These guidelines need a fairly good knowledge of the language of the country where immigrants live. Yet, the parents of immigrant students do not always know the language of the host country, so it would be necessary to give them the guidelines in the two different languages, that of the country where they are living and that of the country of origin. The translation of the guidelines could be made by each school. It is in their best interest to support the students and their parents for integration. This will be a step in the guidelines for headteachers.
Here is the list of the 10 steps: