Educational authorities, taking into account the local context, should consider what form of bilingual education or multicultural approaches should be provided in order to ensure pupils’ educational development, social inclusion and self-esteem.
Schools with a high percentage of multilingual pupils must be encouraged to develop a school-specific language policy. This requires:
- Making an analysis of the school situation;
- Creating an ‘in-school’ plan and proposal, the aim being to increase the quality of support measures provided.
Teachers should adapt their teaching methods and facilitate parental involvement. Qualified professionals and assistants with different cultural backgrounds should be available to support teachers.
The main findings of the Agency’s Multicultural Diversity and Special Needs Education (2007–2009) project can be found in the project summary report and the project web area.