Denmark: Bad education level by immigrant youth

New data from the Danish Labor Union (DA) shows the education level of young men of immigrant background is bad.  70% of male Turkish immigrant descendants never get a post high-school degree, and almost the same amount of Pakistani male immigrant descendants are in the same situation.

In comparison, just 37% of Danish men never get a degree, according to an analysis of the DA's upcoming integration report.

The analysis also shows that girls do much better, though not close to Danish girls, when it comes to getting a degree.  Just half of Pakistani and Turkish girls don't get a degree, compared to a third of Danish girls.

Martin Bak Jørgensen, professor of European Studies at Ålborg University, researched the identity of Turkish youth in Denmark and their participation in the school system.  He thinks that a large part of the reason is the family's expectations.

He says the boys are encouraged to get an education, that traditionally gives much prestige in the original homeland, for example doctors and dentists.  This is typically too big a mouthful since the academic level the descendants obtained in public school doesn't put them in a position to be admitted or finish the course.  They're therefore set up for a serious letdown and see education negatively, he told Agenda, the Danish labor union magazine.

Martin Bak Jørgensen also blames the danish public schools.  They want to much in relation to what this group can do, he thinks.  He's spoken to school personnel who had to make their own school books, since the existing books didn't just teach students to do figures, for example, but also taught them critical and independent approach.  It's fine to want this, but he says the descendants of immigrants need to first learn basic math before going on further.

Source: DR (Danish)

See also:Denmark: 65% of immigrants with a diploma consider emigrating. Denmark: Immigrant girls do better than boys, Denmark: Immigrant's education hurt by bad Danish, Denmark: Immigrants overtake Danes in education

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