By Elena Charalambous
Despite the great process in enrolling more refugee and migrant children in primary education, many of them are still lagging behind their peers in their host country. They find it difficult to adapt in this environment as it might not be their native language and they are not provided with the necessary education by the government.
Source: UNESCO (2014) https://www.unhcr.org/starting-out.htmlAs the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) states:
“The inclusion of refugees in national education systems requires strong partnerships and a significant investment of time and resources to support children and youth to succeed in the new system, with training in the language of instruction where needed. However, it is an investment with rich dividends for the refugees, their host communities and the wider region.”
Additionally, some of their fellow classmates might tease them for not being able to speak or understand their dialect, which is not an ideal environment for them, as it affects their mental health leading them sometimes to unproductivity and depression.
Some would argue that in the 21st Century, children are more open minded and the government is more experienced but as mentioned before they do not provide migrants and refugees the necessary tools so that they can successfully learn the language. However, even though there is more that governments could do, in many countries primary and secondary education is free, which is beneficial for the children as the government has also laws stating that it is illegal for children to drop out of school without finishing primary and secondary education and some of them even state they have to complete middle school education as well. This prohibits refugee and migrant children to leave school for work so they can provide money and food for their family.
Imagine if you, for some reason, became a migrant or a refugee would you like to be treated the same way they are being treated? Each and every one of us can make a change, together we can improve their lives and provide them with better education and a friendlier environment. In short it is our responsibility to make them feel welcomed!