Somali Students’ Perceptions of a New Zealand Primary School.

Abstract

Cultural diversity is growing in New Zealand and deserves to be celebrated for the richness and opportunities for understanding it brings to our lives. Culturally-responsive approaches to education accept diversity and enable students to draw on their unique cultural capital as a learning resource. The aim of this study was to contribute to the literature in this area by finding out what Somali students in a New Zealand primary school think about their schooling: the aspects of school which challenge or support their cultural identities. Three nine and ten year-old Somali students attending a primary school in the Greater Wellington region participated in focus groups. Open- ended questions were used to elicit their perspectives on pedagogical approaches and their interactions with their peers and teachers. The students identified numerous positive aspects of their school lives, including strong friendships and autonomy in the classroom, yet revealed that bullying is an on-going issue, for themselves and other students, in and out of school.

Somali Refugee Students In Canadian Schools: Postmigration Experiences

“…The male participants reported incidents where conflicts sometimes turned into hands-on fights. These findings validate the discussion in the literature about the behaviour challenges and frustrations experienced by refugee children and the need for programs that focus on integration, conflict resolution, and social skills (Hos, 2016;Kilbride & Anisef, 2001;Mthethwa-Sommers & Kisiara, 2015 Oikonomidoy, 2007;Smyth, 2013). Keles et al (2018) emphasize that interventions with such acculturation hassles in the host country could make a difference in the lives and experiences of newcomers.…”

“…As noted by Loerke (2009), refugee students also have difficulties establishing friendships, experiencing isolation that may result in negative feelings about themselves and school. In some of the research on refugee students (Mthethwa-Sommers & Kisiara, 2015;Smyth, 2013), the newcomers identify bullying and verbal teasing due to their backgrounds as one of the biggest challenges they face at school after resettlement. Smyth (2013) learned from newcomer students that "strong friendships were perceived to be a significant support" (p. 44), while Nofal (2017) found that emotional well-being could influence students' educational success.…”

“…For example, Taylor and Sidhu (2012) emphasized that refugee students have strengths and positive elements to bring to the classroom and should not be viewed as only a source of challenge. Smyth (2013) highlighted how Somali newcomer students in a New Zealand primary school thrived on the support they received from strong friendships. Bokore (2018) also discussed "Somalis' resilience and inner strength" when overcoming forced displacement, migration, and dealing with traumatic experiences (p. 101).…”

“…First, the voices of the children need to be heard. Although there is evidence in the literature pertaining to the socio-cultural, emotional, and learning challenges experienced by refugee children in their host country (Ehntholt & Yule, 2006;Roxas & Roy, 2012;Segal & Mayadas, 2005;Smyth, 2013;Taylor & Sidhu, 2012;Wilbur, 2016), the current literature offers little information about refugee children's experiences told using their own stories and from their own perspectives (Guerrero & Tinkler, 2010;Smyth, 2013). Second, it is essential for school educators to have professional development opportunities to develop a knowledge base and pedagogical skill set that will support their work with refugee students (Loerke, 2009;Ministry of Education of British Columbia, 2015;Ministry of Education of Ontario, 2013).…”

Retrospective: A tribute to the past editors from the current editorial team

“…Articles that focused on priority learners captured a diverse range of perspectives from parents, whānau, teachers who work with these learners, and the learners themselves. These articles focused on children with disabilities (see for example, Esera, 2008;Jongens, 2017;Pillay & Flanagan, 2011;Tippett, 2004;Ward, 2010Ward, , 2011, and children who identify as Pasifika (see for example, Knight-de Blois & Poskitt, 2016), Māori (see for example, Berryman & Woller, 2011;Bevan-Brown, 2006;Duncan et al, 2016;Hiha, 2015;Hunt, 2016), or other ethnicities at risk of underachieving within our school system (see for example, Smyth, 2013).…”