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4.
Were the issues identified relevant to the education and welfare
of young refugees?
Since 2000, the Government
has operated a policy of dispersing asylum-seeking
families and individuals
to a variety of locations in the UK. At the same time, many
local authorities
and schools with considerable
experience
of working with young
refugees and their families have continued to develop and refine their practice, while
many other local authorities
and schools without such experience
have also admitted
young refugees.
Many schools enrolling new arrivals have responded positively to
providing for the education and welfare
of refugee
pupils and their families. The
OFSTED report ‘The education of asylum-seeker
pupils’ (OFSTED 2003) noted that:
“The schools can take much credit for their unstinting acceptance
and determination
to make a success of the integration
of the asylum-seeker
pupils.”
However,
much recent research suggests that professional
practice is often
inconsistent
across local authorities and schools both in terms of quality and scope.
Arnot and Pinson (2005), commenting
on research into the experiences
of young
unaccompanied
refugees, say:
“The level of support these children received and their experiences
were found to
vary greatly across local authorities
although many of them felt that they had not
received adequate support.”
Candappa (2000), having argued
that for young refugees “…the security and support
the school could provide becomes
all the more important…”
notes that “…practice
remains patchy, and the level of support for refugee children in schools varies
greatly…”.
The review of research and current practice commissioned
by SHARED Futures
identified the following issues as potential
barriers to education and common areas
of concern for young refugees:
racist bullying
isolation
loss of identity
lack of educational
attainment
concerns about the future
stresses in families.
These themes re-occur in many research reports. For example, Arnot and Pinson
(2005) point
out:
“…the importance
of understanding
the multiple complex
needs of asylum-seeker
and refugee children.”
They identify the following list of issues:
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