(Re)Production of Inequality in the School System? A Comparison of Croatia’s and Austria’s Concepts of Plurilingualism

Abstract

In Croatia‘s and Austria’s educational systems, plurilingual students have long had the status of a priority group, and thus give us the impression of readiness in facing the "problem" of dynamics of society as the greatest challenge of all – whether as national minorities or students who, as refugees in accompanied or without parents, come to one of these countries in search of a better life. In both countries, concepts have been developed and laws aimed at integrating plurilingual children into regular classes as soon as possible, encouraging them to learn the language of the majority population first, while neglecting their backgrounds and the potential they carry. By reviewing and comparing concepts, laws, and regulations that deal with all aspects of the phenomenon of plurilingualism – from the structure and manner of distribution of plurilingual children in classrooms, through the training of teachers who teach them, to the image of them in society, the paper will try to answer the question to what extent these states are ready for the multi- and plurilingual reality that surrounds us.