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Case 3 : Refugee Childrens Educational Integration
Refugee Children’s Educational Integration
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Case 3
Abstract
In the 21st century, the refugee situation has been a major subject of debate. Education of the refugee children has not been discussed as much as the situation in general, and therefore, this report will examine this topic, focusing on the following research question: What factors affect refugee children’s integration into a new educational system, and therefore their possibility to obtain and create knowledge? The method chosen for this report is in-depth interviews. Two employees in the Norwegian school system who have been working with refugee children for more than 10 years were interviewed. They were asked about the childrens’ educational and social situations. During the interview, the questions were open, and allowed the interviewees to share their personal reflections. The information given by them forms the analysis of this report. The key results circle around major factors that are affecting the children’s integration. These are primarily poor educational backgrounds, motivation, and traumas from past experiences. The most crucial factor, however, seems to be insufficient language skills according to both interviewees. In addition to the above factors making it difficult, I have also looked at factors facilitating the situation, such as advantages the refugee children have and measures implemented by the Norwegian government. The main conclusion of this report is that learning the language is the most important factor for refugee children to succeed, both in school and in their social life, and that the outlooks of these children’s educational futures are not necessarily only negative.
Introduction
Since 2010, the amount of refugees around the world has multiplied by almost 2.5 (UNHCR, 2010). There are a variety of different causes as to why people must flee, such as conflicts, environmental challenges and oppressive regimes (UN Associations of Norway, 2019). By the end of 2019, it was estimated that as much as one percent of the world’s population was displaced, underlining the relevance of this topic (UNHCR, 2020a). In addition, there has been increasing attention to conditions in migrant camps lately. There has been an especial amount of engagement surrounding the migrant camp Moria in Lesvos in Greece (Zander, 2020). This camp is overcrowded, as it was originally intended for a maximum of 3000 people and is now housing almost 20 000 (Zander, 2020). The sanitary conditions are poor, the water supply insufficient, and the health care services are inadequate (Zander, 2020). According to child psychologist Katrin Brubakk, this “environment is extremely hostile” for the children living there (Zander, 2020).
More than 50 percent of the refugees in the world are children, and only about half of them are getting education (UNHCR, n.d.d). This is a huge challenge, since education is considered to be extremely important (Thomassen, 2013). As of 1968, education is also a human right (United Nations, 1948). It contributes to personal freedom and empowerment, as well as leading to further developmental benefits (Thomassen, 2013). In addition to education being an important factor for the wellbeing of an individual, it also is valuable for the rest of the community that refugee children be educated (Thomassen, 2013). They could be a great resource and an addition to the workforce of a community and education, and the action also promotes peace (Thomassen, 2013).
The research question chosen for this study is: What factors affect refugee children’s integration into a new educational system, and therefore their possibility to obtain and create knowledge? As a result of the lack of education during their flee, integrating into a new educational system could be challenging. Considering education is a human right, and also a very important factor for succeeding, it is highly important that this transition goes smoothly. To ensure that the refugee children get a proper education, discussing this topic is highly relevant. The educational system will in this study capture the learning aspect in the classroom as well as the social aspect, as they are both considered important in order to learn. To be able to research this question, teachers in Norway working with refugee children have been interviewed. The current refugee situation will be discussed further in the first part of this study, focusing on education, as well as an explanation of sociocultural learning theory that will be used in the analysis. Furthermore, the research method used in this study will be introduced and discussed. Finally, the data collected from the interviews will be analyzed in the analysis and discussion part, which will lead to a final conclusion of the study.
Background and Theory
This chapter will take a closer look at what today’s situation for refugees involves, in order to better understand what affects integration into a new school system. The educational offer in Norway for refugees, as well as in the refugee camps, will be described. The theory used as a basis for this analysis, which is Vygotsky’s sociocultural learning theory, will then be presented.
Refugees
A refugee is defined by the United Nations Refugee Agency as “someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war and violence” (UNHCR, n.d.a). It is estimated that there were 79.5 million people being forcibly displaced by the end of 2019, whereof 26 million of these are refugees (UNHCR, 2020a). As much as 68 percent of these originate from Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar (UNHCR, 2020a). Since 2010, the number of refugees around the world has multiplied by almost 2.5 (UNHCR, 2010). By the end of 2018, the median duration of a flee was 5 years. Refu-
gee status lasts until they have somewhere to go permanently (Devictor, 2019).
A refugee camp is defined as a temporary shelter for refugees, where they can seek protection and assistance (UNHCR, n.d.b) There they are offered services such as food, water, healthcare and legal aid (UNHCR, n.d.b). It is estimated that only 40 percent of refugees live in such camps, while the rest live in cities (UNHCR, n.d.b). As many as 73 percent of the refugees are living in the neighboring countries of the ones most people must flee from, such as Turkey, Bangladesh, Uganda and Jordan (UNHCR, n.d.b, UNHCR, 2020a). There is also a growing number of refugees seeking protection in Europe, although this is a quite small percentage (UNHCR, 2017). In Norway it is estimated that 3.2 percent of the total population has a refugee background (SSB, 2020).
Child refugees are refugees below the age of 18 years, which is the definition used in this study. These children spend a lot of their childhood, if not all, away from their homes, and some are also separated from their families and other caregivers (UNHCR, n.d.d). Consequently, these children do not get to live what many consider as regular lives, and most of them encounter traumatizing events, such as violence, sexual abuse and trafficking (UNHCR, n.d.d). These traumatizing events, as well as other experiences of fear, stress and uncertainty during their flight, can lead to mental health issues (Tribe, 2002). Since all refugees are different and have various experiences, there will be a variety of reactions. However, mental illnesses such as post traumatic stress disorder are common (Watters, 2001).
Education for Refugees
Education is defined as the process of learning how to live in a society with others and different skills needed for this, in a school environment (Thomassen, 2013). It is a fundamental human right, and therefore everyone has the right to access it (United Nations, 1948). While fleeing, the refugee children will lose some education. Across the world, there are 3.7 million refugee school-age children that are not in school (UNHCR, 2020b). According to a study of education standards in migrant camps, made by The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, 2003), the availability of education in migrant camps varies a lot. Firstly, education is not offered in all camps, and even where it is, it is not available for all children (UNHCR, 2003, p. 2). Only 58 percent of the camps in the study had an enrollment rate of 80 percent (UNHCR, 2003). The education is organized differently in different camps. The most common education services are UNHCR funded schools, government or community schools (UNHCR, 2003). Some places, the children get to go to regular school in the country where they are living while fleeing (UNHCR, 2003). Also, UNHCR’s study shows that in some of the camps, the number of students per teacher is high, and overall, around 40 percent of the teachers are not qualified for their jobs (UNHCR, 2003). Both of these factors could affect the quality of the education, which shows that also this varies a lot.
In addition to the problems considering lack of education in the refugee camps, another problem is that “refugee children are five times more likely to be out of school than their non-refugee peers” once they arrive in a new country (UNHCR, n.d.c). There are also only three percent of refugees that enroll in higher education, which is 34 percent lower than the rest of the world’s population (UNHCR, n.d.c). One cause for this could be that mental illnesses are affecting their engagement and relationships in school (Salzer, 2012). Again, this could be associated with lower grades (Salzer, 2012). In other words, there are also problems regarding refugees’ education after getting a permanent home (UNHCR, n.d.c).
In Norway, most refugee children in elementary school start attending as soon as they arrive in the country (Directorate of Education, 2012). All
children have the right to customized education, and some countries choose to have extra classes for these children (Directorate of Education, 2012). In Norwegian this is called “mottaksklasse”, and can be translated to introductory class (Directorate of Education, 2012). The children stay in these classes as long as they are not fully equipped to benefit from regular classes (Directorate of Education, 2012). In the introductory class the main focus is on learning the language, but also other integrating elements, such as facts about Norway and social norms (Directorate of Education, 2012). The goal is also to help these children integrate into Norwegian society (Directorate of Education, 2012). This is completely voluntary, and it is the parent’s choice whether their children should go or not. However, most choose to accept the offer (Directorate of Education, 2012).
For older children, the situation is a bit more complicated. As high school, which starts at 16 years old, is not mandatory in Norway, the refugees who come to Norway at that age will not necessarily be sent to school right away (Directorate of Education, 2012). They do however have the right to apply for high school, as long as they have completed nine years of elementary education, or can show that they have the necessary knowledge (Directorate of Education, 2012, p. 5). High schools sometimes have introductory classes as well, with the same goals as for the younger children; learning the language and about the Norwegian society (Directorate of Education, 2012). Despite the many similarities between the two introductory classes, the children in them are in different ages, and their ways of learning will therefore differ. For instance, younger children will have better language learning abilities (Munoz, 2006, p. 7).
Sociocultural Learning Theory
Vygotsky is known for his sociocultural learning theory which has become a highly popular theory in education around the world (Kozulin, 2003, p. 15). Sociocultural learning theory is based on the fact that the children’s process of learning happens in collaborative and interactive conversation with more knowledgeable members of society (McLeod, 2020). In that way, children will acquire their “cultural values, beliefs and problem-solving strategies” (McLeod, 2020). During this mental development, children will evolve mental functions such as attention, sensation, perception and memory (McLeod, 2020).
The children’s learning, according to Vygotsky, is dependent on several external factors (McLeod, 2020). The theory stresses that social factors contribute to cognitive development (McLeod, 2020). Consequently, the community and environment that children grow up in will influence how they learn and what type of person they will become (McLeod, 2020). Whether the child grows up in a safe environment or not can affect their personal development (McLeod, 2020). The adults around them will also be important for the same reason, in addition to them being the ones who will teach the children (McLeod, 2020). To have a positive effect on the children’s learning, the adults should be steady, but also knowledgeable (McLeod, 2020). Another important factor is language. According to Vygotsky, language is important for two main reasons; it is used to transmit the information, and it will become a tool for intellectual development (McLeod, 2020).
Methodology
The methodology chapter will explain why indepth interviews was the chosen method for this study, as well as describe the interviewees, the process of the interviews and the analysis of the data. The quality of the data collected will also be discussed.
Research Design
In-depth Interviews The method chosen for this study is in-depth interviews. This is a qualitative research technique, based on thorough interviews with a small number of people to examine their perspectives and insight on a topic, and that allows for opportunities for answers that have not been thought out beforehand by the interviewer (Tjora, 2017, s. 113). In this case, the interviewees have been chosen to collect data that is relevant to the current situation for refugee children in schools in Norway. This method is suitable considering that the research question wants to gain insight into refugee children’s everyday life and challenges in the Norwegian school system. There are different perceptions and perspectives on this, as it is a complex topic, and this method allows us to dive deep into two teachers’ experiences. If we were to study the statistics of refugee children’s education, the results would be more general and focus on tendencies rather than experiences. An in-depth interview will therefore allow us to discuss the children’s situations in a less general way and to examine more specific cases. By gaining in-depth knowledge from the experiences of interviewees, I believe we can get a more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon by taking into account the different experiences of professionals working with refugee children.
In this study, there are two interviewees, both working in the Norwegian school system. Interviewee 1 is a former teacher in an introductory class, now working in administration in an elementary school. Interviewee 2 is a teacher in a high school introductory class. Both have been working with refugee and minority children for more than ten years. These two interviewees have been chosen based on their considerable experience with these children, with a presumption that their insight into their social lives and education is extensive.
Data Collection and Analysis The interviews were held digitally through a video chat, where the interviewees were asked open topic-related questions prepared beforehand, which can be found in the appendix. The questions started out about the person’s work situation and experience with working with refugees, to make the interviewees comfortable. The rest of the questions covered the topics of education while fleeing and after fleeing, the social situation of these children, and potential consequences of their background as refugees. It ended with asking about the most difficult challenges, as well as ideas of measures that can be taken to better the situation. The interviewees were given the chance to add any information at the end of the interview to round off. During the interview there were not any audio recordings; only notes were taken by a third person. The data was then coded into different topics, which now form the outline of the analysis of the study. The categories that came out from the interviews are as follows: information about an introductory class, school related issues, language, social issues, mental health, student-teacher relations, parents, information about the refugee camps and the flight, and finally advantages. Most of these topics are highly relevant for the case of this report, but the topics concerning information about introductory classes, refugee camps and the flight are not. Therefore, these were left out, although some of it was used for the background, while the other ones were kept for the analysis.
Quality of Data
To assess the quality of the conclusions drawn from this research, we rely on the terms validity, reliability, and generalizability. Validity refers to the logical connection between the questions asked, the method chosen, and the conclusions we reach (Tjora, 2017, p. 231). In simple terms, high validity means that we are measuring the right concepts to answer the questions we ask. Low validity can be a result of problems with research design. Reliability, on the other hand, refers to the more random errors that can occur during a research process (Ringdal, 2014, p. 355). Both validity and reliability affects the generalizability of the research presented. Generalizability refers to the relevance the presented results can have to a broader perspective (Tjora, 2017, p. 231). Do these results speak for other cases than the one investigated? In the following, these dimensions of quality will be addressed.
Validity As previously mentioned, this method was chosen because it will give in-depth information about the refugee children’s situation. The interviewees in this study have been working very closely with these children, so they have a lot of experience and therefore information about this topic. During a regular workday, they observe a lot that happens in a classroom, so they will naturally observe the behavior and challenges of the refugee children. Also, their job is to help their students overcome their challenges, both academically and socially. Therefore, the method is well-suited in order to answer the research question, which focuses on the factors that make it difficult to integrate into a new school system. The research question does not explicitly name the Norwegian school system, so with that in mind it would have been beneficial to include teachers from other host countries. However, the choice not to include Norway in the research question relates to the fact that many refugee children have similar backgrounds, and many host countries are European, western countries. The choice of Norwegian schools or teachers as interviewees can also be described as pragmatic since this study is conducted in Norway.
The methodology is clearly explained, and the research question is based on factual information about the situation of refugees in 2020 and the conclusions in the analysis are based on existing theory, which strengthens the validity of the study. To further strengthen it, I could have looked more closely at previous research in this field to see what other conclusions have been made.
Reliability A point to discuss the reliability of this study is the choice of interviewees. Both the interviewees are teachers, and not actually refugees themselves. On some of the topics, the interviewees are discussing the perceptions of someone else, which could mean that it would not be totally precise. For instance, data concerning the refugee children’s mental health could be more reliable if it came from these children themselves, or from other professionals who are experts in that particular field. The decision to speak with teachers instead of the children themselves is based on the desire to view the situation from the school’s point of view, as well as protecting the children from a potentially uncomfortable situation that an interview about these sensitive subjects might be. Several schools with introductory classes were contacted and all the teachers that said yes were interviewed.
Another factor that could influence the results is that questions could have been leading, but I have been conscious of this and tried to avoid it. Also, this research has been done by someone who is not a refugee and does not have any personal experience on this topic. It is important to consider personal stands and knowledge about the topic. Before doing this research, I did not know too much about refugee education in Norway. Consequently, the lack of a premade opinion on this topic could contribute to making the text less biased, and therefore more reliable. In addition, the fact that the interviews were not recorded could also have some significance for the reliability of the study, considering that some of the data could get misinterpreted when transformed to text or lost altogether. A recorder would also have allowed for more direct citation which is more efficient when it comes to bringing forward the interviewees voice and not the writer of the study’s voice. How the data was analyzed has been explained, and all the most relevant information to answer the research question is included in the analysis, which strengthens the reliability.
Generalizability As previously mentioned, only two teachers were interviewed. Considering that different teachers could have various perceptions and perspectives on the topic, the data that has been collected does most likely not represent all teachers’ opinions. Therefore, one could argue that two interviewees is not enough to make sure that the data collected is actually representative of an average teacher. Also, as refugees are human beings, they all differ from one another. Consequently, everyone will have a different background and different skills. Some might have experienced very difficult traumas, while others have not experienced that much. Some will be very affected by their trauma, while others might not be that affected. Also, some refugees do not have a sufficient educational background, while others do. Therefore, each case will be different, so in some instances, it could be difficult to talk about this topic generally. However, this has been taken into consideration during the process of writing.
To some degree, this could also be valid for refugees integrating into another school system than the Norwegian. No matter what country they come to, they partly have the same background, as mentioned earlier. Many will lack a proper educational background in European standards, experience low motivation, and suffer from traumas. These will still all be factors that could make it difficult to integrate to a school system. However, adapting to different school systems will require different skills. For instance, if the refugees come to a country where the population speaks the same language as the refugees themselves, it would most likely make the adaption a lot easier. Also, there could be other factors that could make one school system easier or harder to integrate into. For instance, a system that has more focus on practical learning could be easier than one who mostly focuses on the theoretical. Therefore, this could to some extent be valid for other school systems, but mostly for the ones that are similar to the Norwegian system.
Analysis and Discussion
In this chapter I will present a discussion of the research question based on the data collected from the interviewees, as well as the theory and background presented earlier. First, I will look closer at four different factors that make refugee children’s integration into the Norwegian school system difficult, and then discuss the measures in place to better this process, as well as the children’s advantages.
Factors of Difficulty
Knowledge Gaps and Motivation The level of education that the refugee children have when they get to Norway varies a lot. Both interviewees say that it is not uncommon that they get students with barely any education at all. For instance, interviewee 1 mentions that they have had students who are 11 or 12 years old and have never gone to school, and interviewee 2 says that many lack common knowledge, such as that the earth is round. This could imply little education during the process of fleeing and in the refugee camps, but on the other side of the spectrum, there are refugee children with high levels of education. According to sociocultural learning theory, this could also imply that they have had education, but since the framework has not necessarily been stable, the education has not had the same outcome as it would have had in, for example, Norway (McLeod, 2020). However, both the teachers believe they rarely get sufficient education during their flight. This could make it difficult for refugee children to integrate into the new school system as they are at a different academic level than the other children in their age group.
In addition to lack of knowledge, some of the children do not have much experience in being at school. Consequently, some need adjustment
to fit into the Norwegian school system. Interviewee 1 explains that some of the children need to learn what it means to be a student. The other interviewee illustrates that in the streets of Baghdad, it might be necessary to be the toughest and to yell the loudest. At school in Norway, where one has to sit quietly at their desk and do schoolwork, these types of skills are a disadvantage as they are not accepted. This could show that the personal characteristics that are valued in one place could be a disadvantage in another.
There are also essential differences in motivation. Interviewee 1 points out that students from minority backgrounds are more varied in terms of participation and engagement in school compared to Norwegian children. There are many factors that can affect a student’s motivation. One factor is mental issues, which refugee children are more likely to suffer from because of traumas, as mentioned in the background. Mental issues affect the ability to pay attention, and will therefore influence the person’s motivation to continue trying as well (Salzer, 2012). Interviewee 2 also mentions language as a factor, as learning can be frustrating when you do not understand the language that well. In addition, the interviewee explains that many youths have had a responsibility towards their family from an early age, and that they already have been working. Thus, sitting on the school bench could feel pointless. On the other hand, there are some refugee students who really want to learn, and view education as a privilege. Because of their tough past, this is very important to some, as they view it as a way to help their families, according to interviewee 2. The interviewee also points out that cultural background could have a say in motivation. The teacher mentions that, for instance, Vietnamese students are serious about school, while other cultures do not value this as highly. For the students who have problems regarding motivation, integration in general could be more difficult, as school is an important part of Norwegian children’s everyday life. It could also slow down the process of learning the language, which I will now explain why is important.
Language The teachers interviewed agree that learning the language is the most important factor when integrating somewhere new. Interviewee 2 states that learning the language and subjects at the same time could be difficult. For the students who do not speak the language yet, it is very hard for the teachers to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. This is in line with sociocultural theory, which explains that language is important for the transmission of information, and makes intellectual development possible (McLeod, 2020). Therefore, participating in an introductory class could be highly beneficial. Interviewee 1 explains that in the introductory classes the focus is on learning enough Norwegian to be able to follow a regular course. As interviewee 2 points out, students can be very good at math in their home country, they just need to learn to translate it to Norwegian. Despite the fact that a lot of refugee children lack education when they come to Norway, interviewee 2 states that most of them learn and catch up quickly. Learning often seems to be easier than anticipated, and as soon as the language settles, they usually catch up pretty well according to interviewee 2. Hence, the lack of language seems to be more problematic than the lack of sufficient education.
Language also is of major significance for the social aspect. Learning the language is how refugee children can connect with other students in their class, a point underscored by interviewee 1. According to both the interviewees, students with the same mother tongue or of the same minority tend to make their own social groups. Interviewee 2 states that some think it is hard to get to know Norwegian students, and this is a natural way to think before they learn the language. In the beginning these groupings are definitely beneficial, but if they proceed existing, they could make the students’ integration more difficult. Consequently, it is very important for these children to learn the language, so they will get integrated well. Then, according to interviewee 2, social differences tend to disappear. When the children first start school in Norway, the school administration tries to find someone with the same mother tongue, as told by interviewee 1. The teacher also underscores that it would have been very difficult for the children if no one understood them while they were learning Norwegian. The children who do not speak Norwegian also have the right to someone who speaks their language, such as an interpreter. This facilitates the process of learning the language, and then subjects. According to interviewee 1, there are not always interpreters available, which can lead to large language barriers, which is an obstacle in the refugee children’s integration.
Another interesting aspect is that the difficulty of learning a new language varies for children of different ages. It is easier for younger children to learn Norwegian pronunciation, interviewee 1 explains. Also, interviewee 2 states that the low motivation, and therefore impatience, of some older refugee children make it harder to learn the language. This is a problematic challenge because the older the children, the more important language becomes, according to interviewee 1. Play is less relevant, so it is more important to be able to communicate verbally. In other words, age also affects the children’s integration into the school system.
Mental Health Both the interviewees stress the fact that a lot of these refugee children are suffering from traumatic experiences. After being exposed to traumatic experiences, the brain will be affected, and its development could be skewed according to interviewee 2. Many suffer from flashbacks. Children could have different triggers that bring back their traumas, and you can normally find some of these triggers in a classroom. Interviewee 1 points out that for instance jam could resemble blood, or the noise of a breaking pencil could sound like a gunshot. Interviewee 2 underlines that while fleeing, you are always alert, and this requires a lot of energy. Even though the Norwegian school seems safe for most of these children, they will keep experiencing these feelings and as a consequence several will be mentally exhausted.
Some children’s traumas could also have a significance for how responsive they are for learning. Interviewee 2 explains that fear can hinder the student’s ability to learn. Vygotsky’s sociocultural learning theory describes many relevant factors for the refugee children’s way of learning, both on the run and when in Norway. While being refugees, these children will most likely have an unsafe, and unstable environment around them, with a lot of stress and fear. Furthermore, because of living as refugees, the adults surrounding them could also be tired and scared, which could in turn make them more unstable. This can, according to Vygotsky’s theory, affect their mental functions and development. Also, it will also have an impact when the children get into the Norwegian school system, both because of their past experiences and some new obstacles, such as making it harder to focus in class.
In addition, there are often different expectations for refugee children than for other Norwegian children, as pointed out by interviewee 2. They often have more responsibility for helping out their families. In their home country, a lot of these children had to work for money instead of going to school and several have to keep working in Norway to help their families. Interviewee 2 tells a story about a student in their high school who must send a fairly large amount of money to his/her country of origin every month. The interviewee describes the student as exhausted from having to work every day after school. Consequently, refugee children will have to mature faster than most Norwegian children have to. In conclusion, many have a heavy workload with both school and work, as well as having to learn a new language. Interviewee 2 points out that these children often have to work twice as hard to get just as far because of the language difficulties. A heavy workload could affect their mental health, as well as being highly time consuming, which again affects their social lives, and thus their integration.
Relationships To help the refugee children adapt to the new system, establishing good relationships with the children could be advantageous. The student-teacher relationship is different when the children are at different ages. Interviewee 1, who is working with children in elementary school, says that one usually ends up with a very close relationship with the students, because of their need for attention and closeness. Interviewee 2, on the other hand, works with teenagers in high school, and thinks it is hard to find a natural way to speak with refugee students about their background. Both interviewees describe a pattern in which students are more willing to talk about their issues at a younger age, and when getting older, they do not want to share as much. Interviewee 2 states that for the older children it is easier to forget than to talk about it. The teacher believes that it would be beneficial with more dialogue about this with the students. This could have a positive effect for their well-being and mental health, and consequently contribute to bettering their integration.
It is important to help the children understand that the school is a safe place, but also that they need to respect the teacher. Interviewee 2 explains that many children quit school in the refugee camps due to violent teachers. In these countries, the teachers have a different type of authority than Norwegian teachers have, which could make the Norwegian school system a bit difficult to adapt to. Once the children understand the safety of the school system, according to interviewee 2, some students think that everything is allowed, because the boundaries are not that obvious. Consequently, the interviewee has to talk to the introductory class about respect. This was illustrated with an example. In a regular class, the students would understand that they have crossed a line for instance if the teacher wrinkles their nose. However, some of the refugee students might not understand this sign. Therefore, they have to show this more directly, perhaps by saying ‘this is not okay’.
Both the teachers also expressed a wish for more contact with the parents. Sometimes, it can be difficult to know how to approach a refugee child and interviewee 1 explains that what information
you get, depends on what the parents are willing to share, and this is often challenging because of traumas and challenges the children can have. If the parents would share more, it could make it easier for the teachers to understand and reach out to the children. Then they could also adapt the situations better especially for them.
A Positive Outlook
Measures To make it easier for immigrants to learn the language, the Norwegian government has implemented certain measures. The main measure is the introductory classes. Interviewee 2 also explains that they do not have to take the Norwegian second language, and they can choose their mother tongue as an elective course instead of another language. They also have the right to a slightly facilitated exam in Norwegian according to interviewee 2. As previously mentioned, interviewee 2 explained how they have the right to have a support person who speaks their mother tongue, who can help them understand what the teacher is saying. However, there are still few who have this. The most important measure will be to help the children learn the language well. As previously stated by the interviewees, when the language is learned, a lot of issues sort out themselves.
Furthermore, it is important to improve integration and health, which the interviewees schools had implemented specific measures to solve. Interviewee 1 explains that the school works a lot with finding angles of approach and measures to help them in their everyday life. For instance, they have nurses and physiotherapists to talk about sleep, body, puberty, mental health and other health related issues. They have also established social groups, especially for girls, since they are more often than boys victims of negative social control, according to interviewee 2. There are also social groups for parents, including both Norwegian and minority parents. There they can talk about whatever they want, ask questions and get more acquainted with each other’s cultures. Both interviewees are proud of these offers that help better the integration. However, interviewee 2 wishes for more social measures to help the students become more socially integrated.
Advantages As a consequence of refugee children missing out on traditional education while fleeing, a natural conclusion to draw is that they do not have the same level of knowledge as the other children. An interesting aspect of this assumption is that it is directly related to what knowledge we value. In the Norwegian school system, academic knowledge is something that is highly valued, but that does not necessarily mean that having it is better than having other skills. Vyogotsky’s sociocultural learning theory explains that learning happens in dialogue between a child and a more knowledgeable person (McLeod, 2020). This could be interpreted in the sense that formal education is not necessarily required in order to develop knowledge.
Refugee children will have some advantageous abilities and skills that most other Norwegian children do not have. Firstly, many of these children have a lot of practical knowledge. As mentioned earlier, refugee children often have more responsibilities in their families than Norwegian children, and this is not necessarily exclusively negative. They are described by interviewee 1 as good at helping and taking responsibility, and by interviewee 2 as survivors. They are characterized by their previous way of living, first from the culture in their home country, but also from living as refugees. After spending a lot of time with adults and having these responsibilities, many have what may be considered as adult knowledge. They often have more knowledge about the world and life that Norwegian students are lucky enough to not have, interviewee 1 states. Therefore, they are probably more mature than Norwegian children. Secondly, several have some academic advantages. For instance, interviewee 2 says that many know how to speak several languages, and they are as good as the teacher in math. In conclusion, this could be beneficial for these children while adapting to the new school system.
Conclusion
As a result of being a refugee, a lot of the children will miss out on some education during their flee. Whether education is available in refugee camps, as well as the quality of it, varies a lot. According to both interviewees, some refugee children have a very thin educational background. Luckily, the interviewees explain that most of the refugee children catch up with other children academically. The younger they are, the easier it is. Therefore, these children’s lack of a sufficient educational background is not something that they consider to be a major issue. There were however other factors that made the integration difficult. Both interviewees agree that the most important factor is to learn the language well. The reason for this is that it will open doors, both academically and socially. This is considered to be a major factor for successful integration, and when the children master the language a lot of issues solve themselves. Furthermore, a lot of refugee children suffer from problems related to their mental health. These children often have a lot of responsibilities in the family or with working. They also could have traumas and have to work harder with school because of the language. All of these are elements that could contribute to worsening their mental health. Consequently, according to Vygotsky’s sociocultural learning theory, this will make it harder for the children to learn.
On the other hand, many of these children also have some advantages compared to other Norwegian students. The interviewees described them as responsible and good at helping. This could be a benefit in the classroom, as they often are willing to take the tasks they are given seriously. They were also described as survivors. They have experiences and knowledge about the world that most children their age do not have, and in some ways this could be advantageous. Moreover, a lot of refugee children have some academic advantages, such as speaking several languages and being ahead of the Norwegian school system in some subjects, for instance in mathematics. This could be highly beneficial while adapting to a new school system.
To help these students adapt to the new school system, there are a lot of measures that are in place, but also that could be made. As learning the language is considered the most important, a lot of the measures concern this. The Norwegian government has taken some steps to make it easier for the refugees to learn the language, such as the introductory classes. Additionally, the schools are taking measures to help integration and health, such as having health professionals come to class, and creating groups for helping to socialize. Both the interviewees agree that it could be an advantage to talk with the students about what they have been through to better the student-teacher relationships, as well as the parent-teacher relationships. Then it could make it easier for them to customize both their care and education to the children’s own needs. However, this is more difficult the older the children get.
In conclusion, there are a lot of challenges associated with integrating refugee children into the Norwegian school system, but with the right measures, this may not be too big of a problem. Widening our perspective on what knowledge is valuable might also benefit refugee children, as they do have important knowledge, it is just different than what many in the Norwegian school system are used to. It would have been interesting to explore the consequences of the refugee crisis in regard to the creation of knowledge even further, even though the extent of this study did not allow it. The fact that there are fewer refugee children in higher education means that they do not affect the knowledge created in these institutions, which could imply that we are missing out on important perspectives (UNHCR, n.d.c). Making it possible for refugee children to apply for higher education is in other words extremely important, and this study shows that it is possible to better their situation even further.
