Abdirizak Abdi, National Migrant and Refugee Education Co- ordinator Facilitating refugee communities’ effective engagement in education Presentation for National Refugee Resettlement Forum
Dec 30, 2015
Abdirizak Abdi, National Migrant and Refugee Education Co-ordinator
Facilitating refugee communities’ effective engagement in education
Presentation for National Refugee Resettlement Forum
Refugee background students Of the 750 annual quota, approximately 250 - 300 are school aged.
Afghan 134Bhutanese 103Chin 45Colombian 145Congolese 51Eritrean 25Ethiopian 100Iraqi 72Myanmarese/Burmese 253Nepalese 38Somali 70Sudanese 39
Major Ethnic Groups of Refugee Background Students
• over 2,750 refugee background students in the compulsory school sector
• 1, 325 are receiving ESOL funded support
Integrated Education Support Model
ParentsWell informed parents & communities
GovernmentResponsive policies and provision of resources
SchoolsWelcoming and responsive schools
Growing Diversity
•Religion
•Language
•Culture
Ed
ucatio
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ievem
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Contexts Support provision Outcomes
Information Provision: Refugee and migrant families engaged in education
GoalRefugee and migrant families to have access to education information in order to engage effectively in their children’s education
ObjectiveFamilies are provided with quality educational information in languages and methods that will maximise access to the information provided
Well informed and engaged parents
Empowering parents to become effective partners in their children’s education
School based supportSchool refugee coordinators Language and cultural brokersRecognition and celebration of diversity
Ministry of Education Migrant and Refugee Education Co-ordinators To support effective liaison between students, families and communities and schools.
Provision of Information Access to information in parent’s first language (see resource list)
Information for families and communities
NCEA Workshop with refugee parents in Christchurch
Tertiary Education Engaging with Refugee Groups
Ministry of Education
Engaging with Refugee Groups
High level outcomes and strategy
Tertiary Education Strategy – consultation process
Specific policy areas
Areas of policy work of particular relevance to Refugees
Tertiary Education Strategy (TES)The Government is required to issue a tertiary education strategy under section 159AA of the Education Act 1989. The TES must:
set out the Government’s long-term strategic direction for tertiary education
(including economic, social, and environmental goals, and the development aspirations of Māori and other population groups)
set out the Government’s current and medium-term priorities
be consulted on - with both stakeholders in the tertiary education and the community.
TES 2014-2019: consulted on in 2013 and published in 2014
TES: Six Strategic Priorities
The strategy’s six priorities:
Priority 1: Delivering skills for industry
Priority 2: Getting at-risk young people into a career
Priority 3: Boosting achievement of Māori and Pasifika
Priority 4: Improving adult literacy and numeracy
Priority 5: Strengthening research-based institutions
Priority 6: Growing international linkages.
“These priorities identify particular aspects of the tertiary education system that the Government expects to see focused improvement in over the term of this strategy.”
Engaging with Refugee Groups
Refugee Education Reference Group (Government agencies and refugee stakeholders)
ESOL Provider group
Engaging with Refugee Groups
Key areas where input has been sought: Policy settings
– ILN ESOL average hours (changed for 2014)
– Time limits for ILN ESOL and Refugee English Fund (under consideration for 2015)
Allocation decisions
– Reflects needs of communities and settlement patterns
– ESOL stocktake