Access Denied: Refugee Children and the Exclusionary Logic of the Education System in England

Abstract

This article aims to show that, as refugee children occupy a contested space between asylum and children's rights frameworks, the contradictory interplay between the two serves to disempower and disadvantage. The article argues that these children are thus subject to an exclusionary logic, enforced by 'gatekeepers' in the form of schools and local authorities, who hold the power to deny access to education. Drawing on empirical research conducted as part of the author's role as a research assistant for the Supporting and Mentoring in Learning and Education (SMILE) project at the British Refugee Council, it argues that mentoring can act as a mechanism to transfer knowledge, with volunteers acting as guides to negotiate power structures and empower refugee children to access the education they are entitled to.

Unaccompanied minor asylum seekers – processes of subject formation and feelings of belonging in the context of educational experiences in Switzerland

“…The more challenging part was establishing relationships with peers: the hopes regarding meeting other people were not fulfilled to the extent assumed before. This contrasts with what literature stresses as an important function of education for refugees: making new friends (Brownlees and Finch, 2010;Hek, 2005b;Matthews, 2008;Stoecklin et al, 2013;Walker, 2011). Both Mohammed and Merhawit presented the age difference as the main reason for not spending much time with their classmates and for their feelings of not belonging.…”

“…On the other hand, there is a body of literature concerned with the educational situation of refugees in the "global North" (countries of resettlement or asylumseeking). While some authors claim that refugee education in these countries of arrival is still under-researched (Uptin et al, 2016), there has been an increase in research on the topic lately, with a focus on access to education and the quality thereof (Christie and Sidhu, 2006;Dennis, 2002;Kirk and Cassity, 2007;Schwaiger and Neumann, 2014;Walker, 2011;Woods, 2009), including language acquisition (Koyama, 2013;Woods, 2009), inclusive education (Taylor and Sidhu, 2012), and the influence of education on the settlement process (Hek, 2005b;Matthews, 2008). However, this research is mostly concerned with young refugees in general (both accompanied and unaccompanied) and rarely focuses on the specific situation of UAMs.…”

“…It is argued that education supports the integration of young refugees as it helps to develop their confidence and skills to improve their chances in the country of arrival. Further, it can help to reduce isolation experienced by many young refugees (Walker, 2011). For many, attending school is part of their imagined future and for some linked to their ambitions to achieve higher qualifications (Brownlees and Finch, 2010;Hek, 2005b).…”

“…They have the potential to become spaces where refugees can develop a sense of belonging through experiences such as being recognized by others (teachers and classmates for instance) and therefore participate in a mutual act of recognition, in which subjects afford each other the status of a viable subject (Cassity, 2007;Hastings, 2012). However, at the same time such spaces of education include the risk of producing feelings of isolation and not belonging, as refugees may face everyday situations they do not know how to deal with (Cassity, 2007;Walker, 2011).…”

“…There is widespread consensus that going to school is important for young refugees. Education can be protective, act as a coping mechanism, provide a sense of normality and stability and hope for the future, help overcome isolation and trauma, build resilience, help integration, and may also serve a social purpose by allowing them to meet new people and build friendships (Bird, 2003;Brownlees and Finch, 2010;Dryden-Peterson, 2011;Hek, 2005a, b;Kirk and Cassity, 2007;Machel, 1996;Matthews, 2008;Mosselson, 2006;Pascual, 2003;Sinclair, 2001;Sirriyeh, 2010;Walker, 2011). Despite this recognized importance of education and the children's right to education (guaranteed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF, 1989, and other legal frameworks), access to education is not given in every case as UAMs are subject not only to children's rights but also to their host country's asylum legislation.…”