Provinciale Technische School Maasmechelen, Belgium

Our school is located in the northeast of the Flemish province of Limburg, close to the borders with The Netherlands and Germany. In the past this rural area was mainly dominated by the exploitation of coalmines, which attracted immigrant workers to work in the mines. The school Web site is: http://home2.scarlet.be/pts/

In 1980 the last coalmines closed down resulting in high unemployment figures. It was as such difficult for the immigrants to integrate into the Belgian society moreover as a lot of them had not had proper schooling and unemployed among the fathers and grandfathers of these families was widespread. The Flemish authorities tried to attract industrial investors so as to create new job opportunities. A lot of large and semi-large companies have been established in the meantime and young immigrants are now finding jobs in these new firms. Maasmechelen has a total population of some 36,000 inhabitants, of which 7,870 people are of foreign origin: 1,968 of Turkish, 302 of Greek, 268 of Moroccan, 149 of German and others. The character of our school Our school and its sports hall are well-located at the Europlein (square) at the end of the Pauwengraaf (street), a pedestrian shopping street, which has recently been renovated. The school building itself is a fairly new example of modern architecture. Our school has approximately 100 teachers and 420 students. The majority of our pupils (75%) are children of immigrant workers. The most common mother tongues of our pupils are: Italian, Greek, Turkish and Arabic (especially Berber). Learning Dutch is, of course, a must, but apart from that our students also learn French as second and English as third language. In certain departments German is taught as fourth language! For the last couple of years there has been an influx of refugees in our region. Their children do not speak Dutch. Therefore they are placed in a special class, where they are taught Dutch so that they can continue their education in Dutch after one only one year. This class also prepares them for the Belgian society and their integration. An average class of such a kind consists of 15 to 20 pupils. Curriculum Our school offers technical, vocational and part-time education. At technical secondary level the theoretical education is coupled to practical skills training. The Industrial-Sciences department is primarily aimed at further education at a higher level. Both departments of Electro-Techniques and Mechanical-Techniques offer our students good chances for employment and an good start for their professional lives after graduating from secondary education. At vocational secondary level students mainly get practice-oriented education. Skills and working methods, but also manners, a good attitude, similar efforts and discipline are vital in the development of these students. Part-time education is meant for students from 15 years onwards, who would like to learn and work alternatively. Teaching aims include useful education combined with practice training at a company or firm. Needless to say practical skills education prevails. How deprived people can benefit from our school's projects? Our school has participated in two policy-preparing European projects so far. These projects took place from 1983 till 1987 and from 1987 till 1991. Since 1991 our school has been a participant in the following Flemish projects: Education Priority Policy 1st grade Moving On Education 2nd grade Special Refugees Class In all these projects one can find the language component (Language Skills, Dutch as a second language, and Instructional Language). Moreover, there is also an emphasis on Study Guidance (Differentiation and Remedial Teaching, and Study Guidance on Learning how to Study), Inter-Cultural Education, and the component of the homeland and of the tutorship involved. In our refugees' class we aim at teaching the instructional language, Dutch, to the newcomers (who speak another language) and this should be accomplished within one school year. After that they should be integrated in our regular education and we shall give them the necessary advice concerning the choice of their education type. Further educational projects are: the modular system and the renewed secondary educational system. Apart from that we have a number of workgroups and workshops including a students' parliament, an ex-students' organization, a parents' organization, workgroups focussing on safety, healthy school, school surroundings, sporting school, socio-cultural school, school advertising, school magazine, and contacts with primary education. PTS & computers: We have 300 computers and 13 PC-classes. We were selected for the European Network for Innovative Schools (ENIS) and we already have participated in the PETRA-project, Comenius I & II-projects. At this time, we have a Comenius 1.3 Schooldevelopment-project 'ICT4U' with Italy and Norway about ICT-tools in education. The test-website is already online: http://www.ict4u.be