New Dynamics of the Educational Integration of Survival Migrants in Latin America

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

By the close of 2022, the global count of forcibly displaced individuals had surged past 108 million. Approximately 76% of these individuals sought refuge in low- and middle-income nations (UNHCR, 2023). Extensive research on refugee education in the Global South has delved into the challenges of achieving a comprehensive educational integration that ensures quality and meaningful learning, fosters a sense of belonging, acknowledges refugee identities and culture, and equips them for uncertain futures (e.g., Albakri & Shibli, 2019; M. J. Bellino & Dryden-Peterson, 2019; Crush & Tawodzera, 2014; Dryden-Peterson, 2016, 2017; Dryden-Peterson et al., 2019). This body of scholarship has consistently revealed that refugee children in low- and middle-income countries constitute one of the most vulnerable groups in terms of educational exclusion, exploitation, and limited prospects for future economic opportunities (Mendenhall, Russell, and Buckner 2017; UNESCO 2018). However, studies on refugee education have predominantly focused on integration strategies involving alternative schooling options that run parallel to the education systems of host countries (e.g, Alpaydın, 2017; M. Bellino, 2021; Dicum, 2007; Emine Gümüş, Zeynep Kurnaz, Hasan Eşici & Sedat Gümüş, 2020; Mareng, 2010). These strategies include refugee camp schools, temporary or non-formal education services, and schools operated by humanitarian NGOs. Conversely, research on the integration of refugees into regular schools within recipient communities is relatively scarce and has failed to adequately examine the plight of "survival migrants"—individuals forcibly displaced not by war, conflict, or targeted persecution, but by states unable to guarantee basic conditions for human dignity, including access to food, medicine, and education (Betts, 2013).
Latin America offers a prime opportunity to expand our understanding of refugee education and connect it with migration studies. The region has experienced a shift in interregional mobility patterns—from gradual migration driven by the pursuit of better opportunities to massive displacement resulting from multidimensional crises in various countries (IOM, 2023). Traditionally, the region witnessed gradual migration, for example Bolivians, Peruvians, and Paraguayans seeking better prospects in Argentina, Chile, or Brazil. Analysis of the educational integration of these migrants has revealed dynamics of assimilation through homogenizing and nationalistic curricula (Beech & Princz, 2012; Domenech, 2014; Gondin et al., 2020; Novaro, 2014; Pavez-Soto, 2010), as well as a prevalence of subordinated inclusion manifested through enrollment in lower-quality schools and the dismissal of migrants' prior knowledge (Novaro, 2016; Novaro et al., 2008). More recently, migration has become more diverse and widespread, encompassing countries that were not traditional recipients of migrants. This includes the massive influx of Venezuelans into Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and other regional countries, as well as the scattering of Haitians from Chile to Mexico. These new migration patterns are reshaping the challenges of providing quality education to all children. On one hand, intraregional mobility intensifies existing needs for expanding infrastructure, educational personnel, and developing appropriate curricula and pedagogical practices to accommodate an increasingly diverse population. On the other hand, changing migration dynamics necessitate educational systems to address and combat xenophobia while collaborating with new actors, such as humanitarian organizations, which were previously marginalized or nonexistent in governance structures. Moreover, the challenges arising from changes in mobility patterns interact with existing dynamics within the education system, including demands for increased enrollment, educational attainment, and improved learning outcomes.
Research exploring the impact of new regional migration patterns on the educational integration of newcomers is only just emerging. This panel aims to tackle this question by examining the educational integration experiences of various groups of traditional and new migrants in different countries, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. The panel's papers specifically analyze how educational stakeholders perceive and reconcile the demands created by these new mobility patterns with the traditional pressures they face within their respective educational systems. Utilizing qualitative and mixed methods, the presentations investigate how policymakers, intermediate bureaucrats, school leaders, and teachers interpret these multifaceted demands and formulate responses to integrate migrant children.
Although the findings are context-specific for each case, the panel underscores three critical elements in the development of intercultural education that extends beyond providing access to migrant children. First, structural inequalities and educational institutions limit the potential responses to address the needs of migrants. Second, policymakers and educators often possess limited understandings of inclusion, primarily focusing on socioeconomic conditions or learning capacities while neglecting cultural, ethnic, race-based discrimination, and xenophobia. Third, despite the constraints imposed by multiple demands, school leaders play a crucial role in fostering inclusive practices within their institutions. Ultimately, this panel makes a significant contribution by deepening our understanding of the complexities associated with the integration of migrants into mainstream education systems. It offers practical recommendations for policymakers and school stakeholders to pave the way towards an intercultural education that promotes inclusive, diverse, and socially equitable communities. By embracing such an educational approach, we can seize the opportunity to foster positive change and achieve greater inclusivity within educational systems not only in Latin America but also worldwide.

Sub Unit

• Global Migration SIG

Chair

• Claudia Milena Diaz-Rios, OISE University of Toronto

Individual Presentations

• School leadership for inclusion and representations of migrant students in Chilean public schools - Carolina Cuéllar, Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez; Camila Lizama Zamora; Andrea Horn, Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez; Rene Valdes, Universidad Andrés Bello

• Understanding the educational experiences of Venezuelan migrants through the lens of inclusive education in five public secondary schools in Peru - Gisele Cuglievan Mindreau, OISE, University of Toronto; Alvaro Ordoñez Hidalgo, Unesco

• The Local Enactment of Refugee Integration in Regular Education Systems: A Sensemaking Approach - Claudia Milena Diaz-Rios, OISE University of Toronto

Discussant

• Sarah Dryden-Peterson, Harvard Graduate School of Education