Refugee schooling

School-age children and young people with no knowledge or with only little knowledge of the German language travel to Hamburg every year from abroad. They are prepared for teaching in a regular class in age-appropriate preparatory measures at elementary and district schools. Pupils who have not yet been literate or have been literate in a different script acquire reading and writing skills in literacy classes (alpha classes).

For pupils whose previous education suggests that they can acquire the higher education entrance qualification, there are preparatory classes that prepare for the transition to regular classes 5 to 10 of a district school with the option of moving to upper secondary level or to regular classes 5 to 9 prepare at a high school. The preparatory measures are aimed at the fastest possible transition to an age-appropriate and individual learning opportunities corresponding regular class of general and vocational schools.

In addition to the standard form of preparatory classes, in which pupils are admitted during the current school year for a period of twelve months, there are special preparatory classes that the pupils take to the first general and middle school leaving qualifications, analogous to the organizational dates prepare the transition to upper secondary level at a district school.

from the framework for the school integration of immigrant children and young people in regular classes (valid from February 1, 2012)

URL: http://www.hamburg.de/contentblob/4630816/data/d-rahmenvorhaben.pdf