The Purposes of Refugee Education: Policy and Practice of Including Refugees in National Education Systems

 

Summary

This research article analyzes how refugee education is understood and designed by actors in diverse positions: at global levels, across 14 refugee-hosting nation-states, within schools, and over time.

The authors demonstrate that the articulated purposes of refugee education are oriented toward education as a pathway to create possible futures for refugees. Yet across nation-states of exile, refugees’ access to the resources that would enable them to use their education toward these futures is scarce and tenuous. 

Key Takeaways

We offer the following practical steps and actions based on this research below (click to expand).

+ For Policymakers


INSIGHTS ACTIONS
More refugees are accessing national education, but access alone does not ensure the level of quality that would help refugees in their futures. ➟ Prioritize school- and classroom-level experiences that could improve the quality of education for both refugees and marginalized nationals.
A country-specific approach to education, focused on national identities, languages, and histories, does not reflect how refugees plan for their futures. In their search for opportunities, refugees often find themselves part of multiple societies. ➟ Rethink refugee education policy to account for refugees’ experiences in multiple national contexts. Advocate for curriculum and pedagogy that reflect these multiple possible futures.
Purposes of education and post-graduation realities are misaligned. Refugee young people often face legal restrictions and other barriers to opportunities, limiting integration and their futures in the country of exile. ➟ Adopt policies that facilitate access to economic opportunities and civic participation for refugee young people, allowing them to draw on their education in pursuit of livelihoods and meaningful futures.

+ For Educators


INSIGHTS ACTIONS
Refugee young people struggle daily with the uncertainty of their futures. They face decisions about what curriculum they will follow, the languages in which they will learn, the certification they will receive, and the types of schools that might best prepare them for work and life. ➟ Assist refugee young people in acquiring skills, knowledge, and competencies that they can use flexibly within and across countries to pursue further education, economic livelihoods, and civic participation.
Lack of prospects for social belonging and tension between nationals and refugees can limit opportunities for learning and for the future. ➟ As a step toward social belonging in the society of exile, create opportunities for developing relationships among nationals and refugees.
Actors across global, national, and school levels were concerned by the exclusion and marginalization that refugees experienced in national schools and how these experiences might preclude learning. ➟ Strengthen efforts to create educational spaces that are free from exclusion and discrimination. Intentionally address with young people the challenges of acceptance in settings of limited resources and widespread inequities.

+ For Researchers


FURTHER RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO EXAMINE:
  • Refugees’ experiences throughout their educational journeys, including secondary school and higher education, and the ways they are able (or not) to use their education in the futures they create;

  • Refugee young people’s experiences of belonging and educational quality within national schools over time;

  • In what ways varied models of inclusion might transform relationships between refugees and nationals, both inside and outside of schools.

Citation (APA): Dryden-Peterson, S., Adelman, E., Bellino, M. J., & Chopra, V. (2019). The Purposes of Refugee Education: Policy and Practice of Including Refugees in National Education Systems. Sociology of Education, 92(4), 346-366.

 
Integration & BelongingSarah Dryden-PetersonIntegration, Belonging, Migration, Curriculum, Globalization, For Policymakers