Creating a supporting environment in schools for students with refugee backgrounds in Australia
Submitted by:
George Odhiambo
Abstract:
Over the past few years, the number of students from refugee backgrounds in Australia has been on the constant rise. Most youths with refugee background have had a range of traumatic experiences that compound the difficulties in adjusting to a new country and school system. This paper presents a study undertaken with students from refugee backgrounds and their teachers. Based on a qualitative approach, the study employed questionnaires (for teachers and students with refugee experiences), follow up and focus group interviews (with the students). Students with refugee backgrounds often experience significant psychological distress, but many do not receive necessary services. The question of how to foster the resilience and well-being of students with refugee backgrounds and war-exposed youth is a public health concern. The paper will build on the definition of social and emotional wellbeing as well as trauma used within refugee education framework. Given the prevalence and devastating consequences of childhood trauma, there has been a surge in initiatives to help students with refugee backgrounds in schools in Australia. The project explored the academic and emotional issues that the students experience when adjusting to high school and the support they receive at school to cope with their transition. Results showed that students with refugee backgrounds experience a variety of difficulties and barriers to success that are often not recognized. Teachers indicated that there was a significant relationship between English language skills and academic achievement, recommended the provision of more efficient and flexible future pathways for older students and more time and resources to cater for the emotional and academic (particularly literacy) needs of their students. These findings highlight the need for greater efforts to meet the diverse needs of high school students from refugee backgrounds.