Managing Diversity in Minority Language Schools: Can South Tyrol Learn from Vic?

The decision to stop the creation of a “special class” at the Goethe School in Bolzano/Bozen has reignited the debate on how diversity should be managed in schools—especially in minority language contexts. The Goethe School, operating within the German-speaking community of South Tyrol in its capital Bolzano/Bozen, was seeking to create a special class for students without German language proficiency. However, concerns about discrimination and segregation led the provincial education authorities to reject this proposal, emphasizing the importance of maintaining inclusion in a multilingual setting.

This issue sheds light on a much broader challenge faced by many minority language regions worldwide: how to protect a threatened or minoritized language while ensuring the integration of students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This delicate balance is critical in preserving linguistic identity, but it also requires sensitive approaches to inclusive education. Needless to say, this is putting more and more pressure on the schools and making the school administrators and teachers’ jobs increasingly difficult.

Research on multilingual linguistic acculturation suggests that the presence of non-native speakers in minority language schools can be seen as both a challenge and an opportunity. In minority language contexts like South Tyrol, schools have the difficult task of exercising linguistic authority while promoting inclusivity. On one hand, separating students based on language proficiency, risks undermining this effort of inclusion and limiting their opportunities for natural language immersion and social integration, on the other hand schools have to guarantee a certain level of language learning and proficiency. To fully succeed in both is a difficult undertaking.

In the case of the Goethe School, where many students from immigrant backgrounds do not speak German, creating a separate class would have likely reduced the chances for these students to interact with native speakers. Research shows that peer learning is one of the most effective ways for students to acquire new languages. By interacting with native speakers in an inclusive environment, non-native speakers benefit from the natural flow of language in day-to-day interactions.

In 1993, the Generalitat de Catalunya implemented a policy making Catalan the primary language of instruction in schools, reflecting a commitment to social cohesion through education. By the early 2000s, as international immigration surged, the Generalitat's education system aimed to ensure equal rights for all students and promote social cohesion through bilingual education.

In 2004, the Catalan government introduced the LIC plan (Languages and Social Cohesion Plan) to integrate international immigrants and and aimed to integrate immigrant children into Catalan society through language education, ensure equal opportunities for all students, regardless of background, and adapt a multicultural educational environment that benefits all.

As shown in a study by Edwards, Vic, a city in Catalunya, developed a model to evenly distribute immigrant students across schools to foster social cohesion in response to increasing immigration. It involved setting quotas and coordinating school placements to ensure diverse and balanced enrollment.

Additionally, the "Educational Welcome Space" (Espai de Benvinguda Educativa) was launched in 2008 in Vic to support newly arrived immigrant families. This center served as a bridge between immigrant families and the Catalan education system, providing information, language instruction, and social integration support. It aimed to ease the transition for students and their families into Catalan society by offering basic Catalan language skills, cultural orientation, and guidance on navigating the education system.

The Vic experience demonstrates that multilingual pedagogies emphasize interaction among students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Rather than isolating students who lack proficiency in the minority language, schools in Vic fostered environments where students could learn from one another. This approach allowed non-Catalan-speaking students to acquire the regional language naturally, without compromising social cohesion.

It is undeniable that the situation remains complicated, moreover, schools must adapt quickly to ongoing demographic changes. Being on the front line, they need the resources - in terms of personnel and budget - to guarantee, on one hand, the preservation of the linguistic and cultural identity of the minority group through linguistic authority in the use of the language by the new generations, and, on the other hand, effective social inclusion by successfully integrating students from diverse backgrounds and making them proficient minority language speakers.

However, it is important to note that this is not solely the responsibility of the educational system and teachers, but especially of families and the entire community. Minority language regions such as Catalunya and South Tyrol, in particular, must ensure that the new generation of speakers is emerging, and that they speak the minority language not only with authority but also with joy and a positive attitude – that’s minority protection at its best.

Note: This article gives the views of the author and does not represent the position of the European Association of Daily Newspapers in Minority and Regional Languages (MIDAS) or Eurac Research.