“It will be hard because I will have to learn lots of English”: experiences of education for children newly arrived in Australia

Abstract

Educational experiences during childhood are critically important for development, but migrant children often experience unique challenges. To ameliorate these, extra training in English language -such as provided by the Intensive English language program in South Australia (IELP) -is frequently offered to children taking on English as an additional language (EAL). The present study aimed to examine the experience of transition into mainstream classes for children in the IELP, particularly in relation to their overall wellbeing.As such, the study utilised interviews conducted with newly arrived children in Australia aged five to 13 who were enrolled in an IELP, with interviews conducted both pre and post transition into mainstream primary school classes. The findings indicate that most children felt anxious prior to transition, especially regarding speaking English, but were less concerned about this once entering their new class. Making friends was considered to be difficult, but easier when there were children with whom they were familiar from other contexts, or if there was another child in the class with a shared cultural or linguistic background.

Experiences of School Belonging for Young Children With Refugee Backgrounds

“…These spaces were generally places where students frequently went for their classes (such as their own classroom, the school library, the school gym or the art room), but also included playground spaces where the students typically spent their breaks. It is noteworthy that, as found in previous research (de Heer, et al, 2016), such spaces and activities frequently revolved around activities which did not rely on knowledge of English -such as art and sport. Indeed, all of the 15 students in this study photographed spaces in the school which involved learning in areas which did not rely on English.…”

“…Despite the importance of focusing on belonging for refugee students, there is currently very little research outlining how such students experience school belonging in resettlement countries such as Australia -with most of the educational literature focusing on either English language acquisition (e.g., Oliff and Couch 2005), social inclusion (e.g., Block, Cross, Riggs, & Gibbs, 2014;de Heer, et al, 2016), issues of social justice (e.g, Keddie, 2012; Taylor & Sidhu, 2012), or promoting whole--school approaches (e.g., Pugh, Every, & Hattam, 2012). While each of these areas are important, our aim in this paper is to provide an overview of how refugee students experience school belonging specifically, and to consider how these experiences can be used in policies for refugee education in resettlement countries.…”

“…In resettlement countries such as Australia, school is one of the primary places where newly arrived refugee students will connect with their community, build relationships, and establish a sense of belonging in their new country (Woods, 2009;Matthews, 2008; Correa--Velez, Gifford, & Barnett, 2010;Mace, Mulheron, Jones, & Cherian, 2014;de Heer, Due, & Riggs, 2016). As such, school belonging plays a crucial role in establishing a sense of social inclusion, positive wellbeing and the development of peer relationships for refugee young people from the beginning of their resettlement (Correa--Velez, et al, 2010;de Heer, et al, 2016; Woods, 2009).…”

“…As such, school belonging plays a crucial role in establishing a sense of social inclusion, positive wellbeing and the development of peer relationships for refugee young people from the beginning of their resettlement (Correa--Velez, et al, 2010;de Heer, et al, 2016; Woods, 2009).…”

“…While only a proportion of these young people and their families will be moved to a resettlement country, it is nevertheless vitally important that resettlement countries have an evidence base upon which to draw when providing settlement services and support to young people with refugee backgrounds. This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of a paper published in the Educational and Developmental Psychologist Copyright Cambridge University Press DOI: 10.1017/edp.2016.9In resettlement countries such as Australia, school is one of the primary places where newly arrived refugee students will connect with their community, build relationships, and establish a sense of belonging in their new country (Woods, 2009;Matthews, 2008; Correa--Velez, Gifford, & Barnett, 2010;Mace, Mulheron, Jones, & Cherian, 2014;de Heer, Due, & Riggs, 2016). As such, school belonging plays a crucial role in establishing a sense of social inclusion, positive wellbeing and the development of peer relationships for refugee young people from the beginning of their resettlement (Correa--Velez, et al, 2010;de Heer, et al, 2016; Woods, 2009).…”