TITLE:
The Role of Civil Society Organizations in Promoting Educational Inclusion of Refugee and Migrant Children in Austria
AUTHORS:
Martin Kölbel
KEYWORDS:
Educational Inclusion, Refugees, Migrants, Civil Society Organizations, Austria, School Collaboration, Integration Policies
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.17 No.6,
June
25,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study examines the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in promoting the educational inclusion of refugee and migrant children in Austria using a mixed-methods design. Fourteen semi-structured interviews with CSO representatives, refugee and migrant parents, teachers, and an educational administrator were analyzed thematically to explore forms of support, collaboration with schools, and structural constraints. Based on these findings, a quantitative survey of parents and educators assessed the prevalence of key themes and the relationship between CSO engagement, school-family collaboration, and indicators of educational inclusion. Results show that CSOs provide crucial services—such as language instruction, psychosocial support, mentoring, and extracurricular activities—that complement formal education and foster academic and social inclusion. Regular engagement with CSOs is significantly associated with higher levels of school belonging and parental involvement. However, restrictive asylum policies and institutional barriers continue to limit inclusion efforts.