Pull-Out Classes for Newly Arrived Students from Ukraine - An Obstacle to Social Inclusion

Building on earlier developments in the field of inclusive education research, creating a sense of belonging and togetherness is seen as a necessary goal for schools, especially in times of crisis and unexpected outbreaks of war. Against this backdrop, the current qualitative study sheds light on Ukrainian refugee students’ self‑perceived social inclusion after their entry into the Austrian education system. To this end, 14 semi‑structured interviews were conducted with learners attending elementary and secondary schools. The results show that most, but not all participants enjoy going to school and experience positive social interactions with peers and teachers. In addition, results show that only half of new immigrant students report having friends with whom they can share personal thoughts and secrets, with those with friendships increasingly reporting that they have close contact with learners with whom they can converse in their first languages.