higher education admission requirements, as well as options for the majority who do not meet the requirements (UNESCO, 2014).” What are the main obstacles confronting teachers in refugee camps and refugee centres and how should these be removed? Round Table 7: Teacher Professional Development and Support Whatever educational path young people are going to follow, adequately trained teachers are key to their integration and educational attainment, whether they follow special “bridge programmes” focused on learning the language of the host country or are being taught in mainstream classes. For teachers to deliver quality education, they should be given professional autonomy, tools and time to meet the needs of individual refugee students, to design lesson plans and collaborate with colleagues. Collaboration among teachers and their exchange of information and experiences, both within schools and across the profession, will enhance quality teaching. In-service training programmes should be established to equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and competences to meet the educational needs of refugee children and youth. Such programmes should help teachers familiarize with the cultural backgrounds of refugees, with new methods of language teaching, with "values education," relevant to the host country, in ways that are culturally sensitive and uplifting for all. What measures are needed to facilitate the work of teachers to meet the diverse learning needs of refugee children and youth? What should in-service programmes for teachers educating refugee children, entail? Round Table 8: Giving Refugee Teachers Work Opportunities Among the refugees are qualified and experienced school teachers. Common sense dictates that these “refugee teachers” be given the opportunity to teach or assist teaching refugee children and youth. There are many legal and practical obstacles to optimizing the contributions of refugee educators, including non-recognition of qualifications, as well as the integration of these refugee teachers themselves into their new societies. Special programmes may be established to guide and to make the most of the talents of these refugee teachers in the education sector of their new host countries. Should refugee teachers be engaged in the formal education of refugee children and youth? If so, under which conditions? What experiences in host and transit countries can be learned from?
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Workshop C – THE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Moderator: Ms. Francine Menashy, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Round Table 9: International Instruments Protecting the Rights of Refugees Wars and persecution have driven more people from their homes than at any time since the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) records began. 65.3 million people were displaced at the end of 2015, compared to 59.5 million just 12 months earlier. Millions of men, women, and children face an uncertain road ahead. Measured against the world's population of 7.4
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