Educational and Integration Problems of Immigrant Turkish Youth in Germany

Abstract

Germany, which reorganized its industry after the second world war, met a serious work force insufficiency in 1960’s and tried to compensate this work force deficit from developing countries. During these years there occurred big worker immigration to Germany from Turkey, which had a serious unemployment problem and an active population. The problems that could have stemmed from such an immigration movement did not receive enough and serious attention neither from Turkey, which sent the workers nor from Germany, which invited these workers. On contrary, these workers were considered as foreign currency income by Turkish government, and as cheap workforce by German government. In addition, German government believed that these were guest workers and when the due day came they would go back to their countries. However, Turkish workers started to call their families to Germany from 1970’s on and had the purpose of staying in this country in long term. In this country, where third generation has been receiving education, the education and integration problems of Turkish children have always been on the agenda. They have various educational problems from pre-school education and vocational education to higher education. Furthermore, they came across with the thread from various fundamentalist religious or political organizations. In our age, as there have occurred such approaches as multiculturalizm and crossculturalizm, realistic steps have to be taken in order to avoid the dangers that might stem from the integration problems of Turkish youth in Germany. In this study, such an integration problem will be discussed and some practical solutions will be put forward. Key words: European Union, German Education System, foreigners, children of Turkish workers, educational problems.