Integration Of Refugee Students In European Higher Education Comparative Country Cases PDF Download

"Integration is a complex and widely discussed concept, central to the refugee crisis that Europe is currently experiencing. With the large number of minors and young adults entering European countries, the inclusion of refugees (and of other migrants) into national education systems is an important topic to be understood and discussed. Germany is the European country which has taken in the largest number of refugees. Yet, the practices for refugee education and inclusion into the German national school system are still very diverse and are not based on the needs and suggestions of the parties involved, i.e. refugee students, German students and teachers. This research seeks to better understand the concept of integration and to outline the best practices of inclusion of refugee students into the national school system. To this end, in this research, two teachers (one from a vocational school and one from a primary school), six German students (from a vocational school inclusive of refugees) and six refugee students (from various German schools) share their reflections on current practices and make suggestions about how educational practices could be improved. The findings illustrate the deliberations of the participants about the concept of integration - as well as about prejudiced, racist and nationalist ideologies, and their considerations on the role of schools in relation to these ideologies and integration. The participants unanimously share support for the inclusion of refugees in the German national school system, in spite of some negative outcomes of inclusive education. The findings highlight the importance of additional teaching, and especially of extra language support being available to refugee students throughout their education. School psychologists and teaching assistants are also key in assisting teachers with class management and coping with the increased incidences of mental health problems related to trauma within the refugee student population. Finally, the results highlight the issues within the German school system in relation to providing all students with equal opportunities to develop skills and to meeting the needs of all students in light of an increasingly diverse student community. These insights could be valuable for future policies regarding integration processes of young refugees globally"--