Integrating refugees and migrants through education

The Lifelong Learning Platform has published a new policy paper on integrating refugees and migrants through education as a means to build bridges in divided societies. EPA, very much in line with the work we are currently doing to support the inclusion of migrant parents, has contributed to the paper, especially on the need to empower all educators, to involve parents and to have a school leadership approach for achieving this in formal education. Migration internal and external, the refugees, inclusion and integration are hot topics in the EU and nearly all member states, so this is a very timely communication.

Seeds for Integration

A new initiative by OBESSU to build bridges between migrant children and their peers in secondary schools

New large-scale programmes are being developed and carried out to support migrants' inclusion by a group of EU-level organisations, EPA being one of them. One of the partners, OBESSU, in order to encourage building bridges between migrant children and their peers in secondary schools, decided to launch the project Seeds for Integration. The main idea is to provide small, medium and large seed-grants to secondary school student unions and councils, or - in case there is no student council in the school - to independent groups representing the school’s students, to come up with creative initiatives around the topic of educational inclusion of migrant and refugee children. Read on to learn more about the initiative, and inform secondary school students who would be interested in it.

We will share information on all other projects, including our own, in this cooperation, made possible with the financial support of Open Society Foundation. Follow the EPA blog for new initiatives.

A Clear Agenda for Migrant Education in Europe

The SIRIUS Network on the education of children and young people with a migrant background has spent the past three years debating policy priorities for migrant education and inclusion. The Agenda that has just been published and additional Recommendations summarise the policies that prove to be effective in promoting equal access to high quality education and training for all. It also suggests additional support mechanisms for learners with a migrant background where necessary.

Major EU-level NGO's representing different stakeholder groups endorsed the Agenda including EPA. We have added that "Parents' Associations all over Europe are aware of the challenges migrant families are facing when trying to adjust to a new country and a new education system. The European Parents' Association finds it very important that all children are supported in their education in a way that serves their best interest and at the same time parents are also given all necessary state support as stated in Article 18 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child."

Migration and Education - EUNEC Statement

EUNEC discussed the new challenges for migration and education together with experts and representatives of stakeholders from the member countries in Larnaca, Cyprus in October 2012. Olympia Stylianou, secretary general of the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture, welcomed about 50 participants coming from 14 European countries and from Québec.

EUNEC formulates recommendations at policy level as well as at class and school level. 

A shift in thinking is needed.  Our fundamental view about diversity and education denies diversity as a starting point; we have to move away from the deficit approach that devalues diversity to a problem, and work towards a  consensus in society where diversity and migration are not automatically seen as a problem but rather as an asset.

EUNEC expresses its concern that, in times of crisis, the most vulnerable groups should not suffer most.

(from the EUNEC Newsletter)

Read the full pdf here: http://www.eunec.eu/sites/www.eunec.eu/files/attachment/files/statements_0.pdf