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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Introduction
This study was commissioned by the Scottish Executive Schools Directorate to take stock of issues relating to the education of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils. The aims of the research were to:
- provide an overview of the current education provision for asylum-seeking and refugee children in primary and secondary settings; and
- identify what might constitute 'best practice' within the context of Scottish education for the integration of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils into schools.
The study was undertaken by the Thomas Coram Research Unit ( TCRU), Institute of Education, University of London, in collaboration with the Scottish Refugee Council and Children in Scotland. The study commenced on 20 June 2005 and the main fieldwork element was conducted over a seven-month period. The study comprised:
(a) a background survey of Scottish Education Authorities - which explored types of data collected, specific policies for, and streams of funding available in relation to specific pupil groups such as bilingual learners, mid-term-arrivals and asylum-seeking and refugee children; and
(b) empirical study in two Scottish cities, and in two selected local education authorities in England - comprising research in schools, interviews with children and young people, and interviews with parents. Two primary and two secondary schools in each of the Scottish cities, and one primary and one secondary school in each of the selected local education authorities in England were chosen for case study, on the basis of their reputation for good practice. The Head or a senior teacher was interviewed in all of these schools.
A total of 28 asylum-seeking/refugee students, aged from 7-18 years (22 of whom were drawn from case study schools in Scotland, and six from a college of further education in one of the Scottish cities), and 14 parents were also interviewed for the study. Interviewees came from Turkey and middle eastern countries; south and central Asian countries; and from African countries, and represented major refugee community groups in Scotland.
In an extension to the study, the Scottish Executive requested further information relating to strategic approaches to supporting asylum-seeking and refugee pupils by the two Scottish Education Authorities. Interviews with two officers in each authority were conducted for this purpose in November 2006 and January 2007 respectively.
2. Bilingual learners, student diversity and Scottish Education Authorities
Responses were received from just 14 of the 32 education authorities (44%) by the close of the survey. The survey sought to ascertain what structures education authorities had in place that could be harnessed to respond to the needs of asylum-seeking and refugee pupils, if required. Five authorities indicated collecting information on asylum-seeking or refugee status of pupils; 13 gathered data on bilingual learners, and 12 on a range of additional support needs. Six authorities collected data on unplanned admissions, and in one other this data was collected by schools but not held centrally.
In relation to policies and support structures, 11 authorities reported having either specific policies towards bilingual learners, or related policies that were part of wider policy such as on additional support needs. Additionally, 13 authorities indicated having structures, such as a dedicated post, for supporting bilingual learners. Most authorities reported having either specific policies toward vulnerable children, or that this area was part of wider policy or guidance; 7 indicated having policies relating to new arrivals. Few authorities (4) had specific policies relating to asylum-seeking and refugee children, perhaps reflecting the fact that in many authorities few, if any, asylum-seeking or refugee pupils are known to be in their schools. Most respondents indicated having anti-racist and anti-bullying policies.
In terms of funding, 7 authorities reported specific funding to support bilingual learners, and 2 others noted the possibility of drawing on wider funding to support this work if the need arose. Few authorities had specific funding available to support new arrivals (3), and refugee children (3). An additional 6 respondents indicated the possibility of drawing on wider funding for supporting new arrivals, and an additional 5 respondents for supporting refugee children, if required, again perhaps reflecting the fact that in many authorities few, if any, asylum-seeking or refugee pupils are known to be in their schools. Anti-racist and anti-bullying work was supported by more authorities, either with specific funding or as part of wider funding streams, but around a third of responding authorities did not indicate having recourse to such funding.
3. Studying and living in Scotland: experiences of asylum-seeking and refugee students and families in two cities
The two cities where the study was located present very different profiles in relation to people seeking asylum and refugees. City 2 has had a longer history of hosting these communities, but at the time of the study just 32 asylum-seeking and 33 refugee children were known to be enrolled in the city's schools. By contrast City 1 has the contract under the UK Government's dispersal programme to receive asylum seekers and so, since 2000, has seen large numbers of asylum-seeking families housed in the city, where previously few refugees had resided. Thus in 2005, 1,507 asylum-seeking and 397 refugee children were known to be enrolled in the city's schools. At school level this meant that while around 100 asylum-seeking and refugee children might be enrolled in a secondary school in City 1, just three might be found in a similar-sized school in City 2. Indeed, some schools in City 1 had changed almost overnight from being mono-cultural and mono-lingual to being multi-cultural and multi-lingual, mainly as a result of dispersal policies . In terms of cultural diversity more broadly, both cities had a higher proportion of minority ethnic communities than the average for Scotland (2%) at the 2001 census, but considerably lower than the UK average of 7.9%. The experiences of children and young people and parents in the two cities must therefore be understood in this context.
3.1 Experiences in City 1
In City 1, case study schools, for the most part, have played a positive part in the lives of their students, but overall, life in City 1 for asylum-seeking and refugee children and their families provided a range of experiences, from the very positive to the very negative. One secondary school, in particular, had been very successful in inclusive practice, evidenced by the achievements of a number of its asylum-seeking/refugee students; and a primary school had successfully supported parents in becoming involved with their children's education.
In general, schools had been welcoming and provided support with settling pupils in. The 'buddy' system was experienced as helpful for both primary- and secondary-age students, easing settling-in and helping with making friends. The support provided by schools to students new to English was appreciated by students and parents alike, and most young people reported being able to cope with the school curriculum once they had a sufficient grasp of English. The provision of interpreters in all schools as required, was appreciated by parents, but complaints were made about letters from schools routinely arriving in English only, creating difficulties for them.
Career issues presented problems for young people, however. As a result of UK government policy, access to further and higher education is restricted, a major difficulty being that asylum-seeking students are often required to pay overseas fees, and bursaries are not available to them. The Scottish Funding Council for Further and Higher Education ( SFC) will however, waive fees for a full- or part-time ESOL (English as a second or other language) course, or other part-time, advanced or non-advanced course. People seeking asylum are also eligible to apply for support from the hardship fund for help with travel and study costs. This funding is available to individuals seeking asylum, or the spouse, civil partner, or child of a person seeking asylum living in Scotland.
The issue of friendships was explored in interviews: schools had recognised the importance of friendships for children's well-being, which in turn impacted on educational success, and various clubs had been organised to encourage socialising. However, an indication of need for more work in this area was an ethnic group being excluded from play by other pupils, reported in one school. Unaccompanied minors at a college of further education all confirmed having friends at the college. However, danger on the streets, reported by a number of students, especially in deprived areas, seems to have negatively impacted on asylum-seeking and refugee children's lives outside the school, which could in turn have implications for their educational progress.
Racism and bullying, within and outside the school, was discussed with interviewees. All case study schools had anti-racist and anti-bullying policies, and many young people reported their schools taking a stern stance on bullying. However, interviews indicate that action taken against bullies was not always effective.
Racism was a particular problem, and interview evidence indicates that some of this, and verbal abuse in particular, goes unreported, for fear of worsening the situation. Racist attacks are experienced more frequently outside the school, especially in one deprived area. Unaccompanied minors reported high levels of racist abuse on a regular basis in the city centre and on public transport. However, racist abuse of asylum-seeking and refugee communities does not seem to be restricted to indigenous White Scots, and appears to be multi-faceted. The study found evidence of inter-ethnic racist bullying between different groups; intra-faith racist bullying between different ethnic groups; and inter-faith bullying of minority-faith groups of asylum-seeking young people by majority-faith asylum-seeking young people.
3.2 Experiences in City 2
Asylum-seeking and refugee students form a very small minority of the population in schools in this city. Interview data suggest that students are made to feel welcome in schools and receive the support of their teachers. Peer support with settling in and learning was appreciated by interviewees. Students new to English received special support with learning the language, and reported being able to cope with the curriculum when language skills had been acquired. Career issues did not raise concerns: secondary-age students interviewed had gained leave to remain, and under UK Home Office policy they would be treated as home students in relation to access to higher and further education and employment.
The issue of friendships was discussed, particularly in the context of young people from asylum-seeking/refugee backgrounds probably having few of their own number in schools from whom to draw support. All students reported having friends from different backgrounds, including White Scottish, from their schools. Racism and bullying, in and outside the school were discussed, and whilst schools did have anti-bullying and anti-racist policies, interview data suggests that more anti-bullying and anti-racist work needs to be undertaken by schools. Racist bullying outside the school was reported by one primary student; other interviewees did not report experiencing racism in their neighbourhoods.
3.3 Overarching issues in supporting asylum-seeking and refugee pupils in the two cities
A number of general issues concerning education and support for asylum-seeking and refugee students across the two cities were raised in the study. These included:
- the relative merits of mainstreaming versus withdrawal, including implications for forming friendships, and potential stigmatising effects of withdrawal
- schools not always having a sufficient understanding of refugee experience, sometimes leading to a child's difficulties with the curriculum or manifestations of aggression not being seen in this context
- some teachers perceived to have low expectations of asylum-seeking and refugee students
- a need for understanding that the stress of insecure immigration status of asylum-seeking families could negatively impact on their children's educational performance.
4. Beyond integration: good practice from study schools
The study considered what might constitute 'best practice' in education for supporting asylum-seeking and refugee students. The concepts of 'integration' and 'inclusion' were examined, and it was posited that inclusive practice, where the school adapts to respond to the needs of its pupils, within a culture that celebrates diversity, was good practice.
A range of inclusive practice was found in study schools. These included practices that sought to:
- address the needs of the whole child (rather than just their educational needs) in the school's welcome
- address the concerns of parents, and include parents in their children's education
- address the child's English-language needs whilst not withdrawing him/her from mainstream education
- develop pupil support strategies that indicate high expectations of all pupils; and
- foster friendships among all pupils.
5. Conclusions
The concluding section summarised data from the project and highlighted areas for further action at different levels.
(i) The Scottish Executive and Education Authorities
Survey results indicate a need for better support for wider policies relating to work with asylum-seeking and refugee pupils (chapter 2).
It is recommended that:
- on-going anti-bullying and anti-racist work is undertaken in schools and communities, more information provided about available resources, and adequate funding support provided to all authorities for this and for supporting different categories of vulnerable children
- on-going training in this area is provided for staff, and suitably resourced.
Case studies in schools in two cities suggest that schools may not be fully aware of how the refugee experience could impact on a child's educational performance (sub-section 3.3).
It is recommended that:
- further training and support be provided for teachers on helping asylum-seeking and refugee pupils in the classroom, in particular in relation to the behaviours and obstacles to learning resulting from past traumatic experiences, on an on-going basis.
The study identified many examples of inclusive practice in case study schools in Scotland and in England, including ethos, non-stigmatising support for students new to English, monitoring educational progress, fostering friendships and socialising among students, good home-school links, and developing and implementing strong anti-racist policies (sub-section 4.3).
It is recommended that:
- the Scottish Executive and Education Authorities ensure that such good practice is celebrated through workshops and training sessions, and is disseminated to and promoted in all schools, with easy access through web-based documents.
The study raised concerns with regard to further and higher education prospects for asylum-seeking students (sub-section 4.1.1).
It is recommended that:
- the Scottish Executive in association with the Scottish Funding Council for Further and Higher Education works to amend existing regulations to allow asylum-seeking young people access to higher education.
Study data indicate high levels of racism and racist bullying, mainly outside of schools, in particular in one city centre and in a socially deprived area, and some under-reporting of these for fear of repercussions (sub-section 3.1).
In recognition of the negative impact racist abuse can have on pupils' educational experiences it is recommended that:
- the Scottish Executive and local authorities work through and with various community organisations to build and foster better community relations.
(ii) Schools
The efforts made by schools in supporting asylum-seeking and refugee pupils was recognised in the study. However, in some schools certain areas were felt to require further action (subsections 3.1, 3.2).
If the following is not current practice, it is recommended that:
- asylum-seeking and refugee pupils (and other pupils new to English) are provided further and continuing help with academic English in order to access the curriculum, even after they seem to have gained competence with social language
- mainstream teachers are provided training, and continue to be provided training where this is already in place, to help them support the development of academic language among asylum-seeking, refugee and other pupils new to English
- schools examine their practice on inclusion with vigilance, to ensure that particular ethnic groups within the school are not experiencing isolation
- policies on bullying and racism in schools are reviewed on a regular and on-going basis, and reinforced through assemblies and PSE
- schools provide additional and on-going staff training on bullying and racism, to make staff more able to spot signs and competent to deal with incidents
- schools should actively seek to share and learn from inclusive practice developed in other schools, as outlined in this report and elsewhere, to improve the support they provide to asylum-seeking and refugee pupils
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