Indicator history

A survey conducted by the Federal Ministry for Migration and Refugees (Bundesministerium für Migration und Flüchtlinge, BAMF) in 2006/2007 on the living situation of the five main groups of foreigners in Germany investigated the level of education. Thereby, the study did not distinguish if the respondents obtained their graduation in their country of origin or in Germany.
The Polish respondents achieved the best level of education within the group of foreigners. Thereby, it should be noted that among the Polish respondents more persons obtained their graduation in their country of origin compared to the other groups. In general, Polish, Russian and Croatian persons achieved comparatively high levels of education, whereas Turkish persons showed a rather low level of education. Turkish respondents hold the lowest level of education with less than 10 per cent obtaining a university degree.

The following list illustrates the percentage of respondents who either achieved the lowest graduation level of secondary school (compulsory education) or no graduation at all (BAMF 2010, 82 ff.):
Turkish respondents:  61 per cent lowest graduation (´Hauptschule`); 13 per cent no graduation
Respondents from former Yugoslavia: 56.5 per cent lowest graduation (´Hauptschule`); 8.4 per cent no graduation
Italian respondents: 60.1 per cent lowest graduation (´Hauptschule`); 11.5 per cent no graduation
Greek respondents: 51.4 per lowest graduation (´Hauptschule`); 11.5 per cent no graduation
Polish respondents: 37.4 per cent lowest graduation (´Hauptschule`); 1.0 per cent no graduation

The second Integration Indicator Report issued by the Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration (Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Migration, Flüchtlinge und Integration) confirmed that in the period from 2004/2005 to 2009/2010 a positive trend in the educational level of pupils with a migration background can be observed. Still, a significant difference in the level of education between pupils with a migration background and pupils without a migration background remains (Engels et. al. 2011, 11/12/34-38).

Source:

• Engels, Dietrich/ Köller, Regine/ Koopmans, Ruud/ Höhne, Jutta (2011), Zweiter Integrationsindikatorenbericht, http://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/DE/_Anlagen/2012/01/2012-01-12-integrationsbericht.pdf?__blob=publicationFile (accessed on 13.02.2012).
• Federal Ministry for Migration and Refugees (Bundesministerium für Migration und Flüchtlinge, BAMF) (2010). Forschungsbericht - Fortschritte der Integration:  Zur Situation der fünf größten in Deutschland lebenden Ausländergruppen, http://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/DE/Publikationen/Forschungsberichte/fb08-fortschritte-der-integration.pdf?__blob=publicationFile (accessed on 16.01.2012).