Boundless plains no longer to share...

Refugees. Yes, dare I say the word? I’m sure we’ve all been exposed to the countless political debates that have taken place this past year centered on asylum seekers and the misconceptions surrounding the matter. Used as a political sham to gain votes, politicians have fixed their campaigns around what I believe are inhumane and very un-Australian opinions on the matter of seeking asylum. Some have  even called them “boat people”, as if they were some ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ style bandits, here to take over “our” land. We forget that they are people too. We are no better than those who are genuinely seeking asylum. These people have extraordinary stories to share that some are unable to hear because of the curtain of ignorance that we’ve been blinded by. Dr Karl Kruszlnicki, most commonly known as the T.V personality ‘Dr Karl’ sums it up perfectly by stating that “Refugees are not coming here because we have really good TV shows - they're coming here because people are shooting at them.” The fact of the matter is that everyone has something to say about refugees… except refugees. And when one does hear stories of Australian asylum seekers, education appears to be at the core of their concerns. The misconceptions surrounding refugees has led me to reflect on two things – the culture of education and the forgotten fact that through sufficient and quality schooling, refugees possess the abilities to become the quality Australian citizens that some people believe they cannot be.

The ABC’s short video titled “Refugee School” (2013) sheds light on the educational experiences of refugee students in Australia. Perosa is one student that the video focuses on. She was born in Afghanistan, but when her parents were killed in the war, her younger siblings and herself journeyed to Australia for a better life. Prior to coming to Australia, she hadn’t ever been to primary school, and had only experienced 2 years of high school. But with the right programs and the support she needs, specifically from teachers, she was voted school captain and achieved the DUX award. Another student is Alicea, who came from Sierra Leone, and has been given the opportunities and resources to focus on his one sporting passion: soccer. The achievements of these refugee students have been made possible by the special programs that have been provided to them, such as ESL classes, allowing them to become proud quality Australian citizens. However, it’s the value for education that they have that is the underlying factor for their successes.

“It is well documented that refugee and asylum seeking young people are committed to and prioritise education… unaccompanied minors in particular often speak of education as the most positive thing in their lives, and are motivated to progress, primarily because it enables them to focus on the future rather than the past” (Arnot & Pinson, 2005). Research conducted by UNICEF on the aspirations of young refugees and asylum seekers also revealed “their priorities were to be and stay in education, very often with the aim of reaching university” (Arnot & Pinson, 2005). It is clear that refugee children possess the psychological desire to participate successfully in schooling in an aim of gaining a sense of security and stability; something that they have been denied for so long. The nature of education is one that is no longer largely humanitarian and social-justice focussed, which accounts for the lack of protesting perceptions that schools and the education system may have had if the mistreatment of refugees was largely present a decade ago. 

“Schools are a stabilising feature in the unsettled lives of refugee youth. They provide safe spaces for new encounters, interactions and learning opportunities” (Matthews, 2008). Education plays a role as a facilitator for intellect and personal development, occupation and community integration, and allows young people from ethnic minority groups to learn ‘majority language’ that will inevitably benefit them and further their opportunities in a globalised world.

The fact is refugees have been branded the big, bad monster; here to steal our jobs and make us pay more taxes. The correlation between refugees and education is often forgotten. In my personal schooling experience, the students who had came to Australia as asylum seekers definitely valued their education more than I did; they saw it as the true beacon of light that it in essence is, and dedicated more time and effort to make sure they gave back to the community which gave them so much. The efforts of our education system in ensuring quality education and resources for refugees have been outstanding in my opinion, however without people paying attention to these successes, no positive change can take place. The culture of education is in its core humanitarian and as cheesy as it may sound, education can change a lot if we allow it to. 

Matthews, J. (2008). Schooling and settlement: Refugee education in Australia. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 18(1), 31-45.

Arnot, M., & Pinson, H. (2005). Asylum-Seeker & Refugee Children.

Refugee school. (2013). Retrieved October 27, 2013, from http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3835718.htm