Supporting Children and Families With Refugee Backgrounds: Lessons From Teachers in Five Countries

• In Event: Daring to Disrupt the Status Quo: Teacher Advocacy in Practice and Policy

Abstract

The global diaspora has created a new challenge. Not only are there calls for the geographical borders of many countries to be opened to refugee and asylum-seeker communities, but also for hearts and minds to be opened to the traumatic losses experienced by so many. For countless individuals, all they have left is their hope for the future, much of which is predicated on the education of their children. This presentation offers insights from teachers educating students who have refugee experiences across five countries. Major findings from the research will be discussed including how real-world experiences should precede classroom instruction. Further, teachers must learn to work within and against existing school policies that are often deleterious for newly arrived students.

Authors

• Scott R. Imig, University of Newcastle
  Presenting Author

• Maura Sellars, University of Newcastle, NSW
  Presenting Author