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

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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