Beyond the Surface: A Critical Discourse Analysis of UNHCR’s global refugee education strategy

• In Event: Rethinking Inclusion: Power, Policy, and Teacher Agency in Refugee Education

Proposal

In 2019, amidst what was then the largest and most complex displacement context in recorded history, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) introduced “Refugee Education 2030: A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion.” This global strategy advocates the inclusion of refugee learners into national education systems, positioning ‘refugee inclusion’ as essential to addressing the educational needs of millions of forcibly displaced children.
Through Critical Discourse Analysis, this paper explores how “Refugee Education 2030” frames the concept of “inclusion” for refugee learners. The analysis reveals multiple themes, including (1) the undefined nature of ‘inclusion; (2) commonsense framing and ‘truth-making;’ (3) alignment with neoliberal global agendas; (4) tensions between inclusion as a global responsibility vs. opportunity; and (5) the paradox of promoting a particular form of ‘inclusion’ that may create or entrench myriad exclusions—including linguistic, cultural, and professional. Further, the findings suggest that the strategy is reliant on a functionalist view of education and on market-based “solutions”, including increased involvement of the private sector. Additionally, the analysis captures intentional alignment of this strategy with multiple global agendas and raises concerns about potential tensions between these broad agendas and the specific and dynamic needs of refugee learners. Finally, the study explores how problem definition and paradigm constraints are key influences both in the construction of this global education strategy as well as in its implementation.
This paper calls for a more nuanced, context-specific approach to educational inclusion for refugees—one that addresses power dynamics and prioritizes equity. It urges scholars and practitioners to pursue a research agenda and strategy that challenges prevailing ideologies and fosters genuinely inclusive, equitable, and transformational refugee education.

Author

• Langan Courtney, University of Maryland College Park