ERIC Number: EJ1040496
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-3116
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Supporting Schools to Create an Inclusive Environment for Refugee Students
Block, Karen; Cross, Suzanne; Riggs, Elisha; Gibbs, Lisa
International Journal of Inclusive Education, v18 n12 p1337-1355 2014
In a context of increasing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers globally, recognition of the importance of the school environment for promoting successful settlement outcomes and inclusion for refugee-background young people is growing. Yet schools may be poorly equipped to recognise and respond to the multiple challenges faced by children and young people who must learn a new language while grappling with unfamiliar educational and social systems. Refugee-background students often have minimal or significantly disrupted formal education prior to arrival in their new country. Young people, and sometimes their families, may lack literacy in first languages and many are coping with the impacts of trauma associated with forced displacement. Evidence for effective interventions in schools that promote an inclusive learning environment is scarce. This paper presents the results of an evaluation of the "School Support Programme" operating in schools in Victoria, Australia. The programme is provided to networks of schools in a region and facilitates partnerships between schools and agencies and provides a holistic model for a whole-school approach focused on the learning, social and emotional needs of refugee-background students. The evaluation concluded that the programme provides an appropriate and feasible model that supports the capacity of schools to provide an inclusive education for this group.
Descriptors: Refugees, Inclusion, Educational Environment, School Support, Special Needs Students, Partnerships in Education, Educational Change, Migrant Children, Migrant Education, Migrant Problems, Cultural Differences, Program Effectiveness, Program Evaluation, Stakeholders, Parent Attitudes, Parent Participation, Fiscal Capacity, Well Being, Student Improvement, Barriers, Performance Factors, Program Implementation, Semi Structured Interviews, Shared Resources and Services, Improvement Programs, Elementary Secondary Education, Foreign Countries, Educational Resources
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A