Educators in Exile

Abstract

The Commonwealth Secretariat would like to thank the experts who reviewed draft versions of the report, and who provided such perceptive comments: Dr Marina Anselme, Eleanor Brown and Ita Sheehy.v DedicationThis publication is dedicated to all those who teach, train and run education programmes in difficult conditions. In particular it is dedicated to Mr Abdi Ali Yusuf, who was shot dead while escorting a Norwegian Refugee Council mission in Ifo Camp, Dadaab, Kenya on 29 June 2012. vi Contents Foreword iii Acknowledgements v Dedication vi List of tables, figures and boxes x Abbreviations and acronyms xi Examinations xiii Terminology xiv 4. Findings -The Refugee Teacher's Experience 4.1 Findings 4.1.1 Categories of teachers studied 4.1.2 Migrants are not new 4.1.3 'Push and pull' 4.1.4 'Pull' factors 4.1.5 Social and psychological factors 4.1.6 Resilience 4.1.7 Working abroad or refugee? 4.1.8 Home countries and returnees 4.1.9 'One foot in each county' 4.2 Kenya 4.2.1 Refugees in Kenya 4.2.2 Important background 4.2.3 Becoming a teacher in Kenya 4.3 South Africa 4.3.1 Refugees in South Africa 4.3.2 Supply and demand in South Africa 4.3.3 The refugee process in South Africa 4.3.4 Becoming a teacher in South Africa 4.3.5 Zimbabweans in South Africa 4.3.6 Ugandans in South Africa -refugee status can end 4.4 Uganda 4.4.1 Refugees in Uganda 4.4.2 Becoming a teacher in Uganda 4.4.3 Policy on employment of refugees in Uganda 4.4.4 Sampling 4.4.5 Kyangwali refugee settlement 4.4.6 Kiryandongo refugee settlement 4.5 South Sudan Notes References 5. From Findings to Policy and Practice 5.1 Government 5.1.1 Government policies, national and local 5.1.2 Divergence between policy and practice 5.2 Refugee teachers 5.2.1 Scarcity of qualified teachers in refugee populations 5.2.2 Teacher supply and demand 5.2.3 Sponsorships and scholarships 5.2.4 Attrition among refugee teachers 5.2.5 Motivation/desire to be a teacher 5.2.6 The legal and professional status of refugee teachers 5.2.7 The main obstacles to becoming a teacher in a host country viii Contents 5.3 The management of refugee teachers in host countries 5.3.1 Preparedness for an emergency provoking a refugee influx 5.4 Getting trained, qualified and certified 5.4.1 Short courses 5.4.2 Missing qualifications 5.4.3 More advanced courses 5.4.4 Learning management and school governance 5.5 Being specifically trained to teach in emergencies 5.5.1 Teacher Assistance course (a rapid methodology course) 5.5.2 Be a Better Teacher/Bon enseignant 5.5.3 Conversion courses 5.6 Financial considerations 5.6.1 Pay and remuneration 5.6.2 Low levels of payment in camps 5.6.3 The ladder 5.7 Sensitising the host country 5.7.1 Promoting knowledge about refugees and refugee rights 5.7.2 Refugee teachers as an asset 5.8 Language 5.9 Returning home 5.9.1 Recognising returnees' qualifications 5.9.2 Note on tripartite agreements 5.9.3 Adapting the Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol (CTRP) to the needs of refugee teachers Notes References 6. Models and Best Practice