Yasmine Ahmed Mahmoud Hassan, Masters in Educational Administration and Education Policy – Egypt
Displacement and loss of educational opportunities in wartime are worthy of attention and deep reflection. In times of conflict and war, many people are subjected to forced displacement, both within and outside the country; which exposes them to many risks and challenges, including the loss of educational opportunities for displaced students, as a result of wars and conflicts that force them to leave, particularly when abroad and searching for safe shelter in other countries. Furthermore, they are prone to cease their education, and to enter the circles of poverty and ignorance. This adversely affects their future and their ability to contribute to the building of their society.
International and non-governmental organizations of host States must seriously provide appropriate educational opportunities for displaced students. In the same context, the school community’s members, including managers, teachers, and specialists, have a vital role to play in providing them with appropriate educational opportunities, and in pursuing continuous and integrated efforts to ensure the success of the educational process. However, students who have been displaced may face a variety of challenges that can limit their educational opportunities, particularly as described in this article.
The absence of a safe and appropriate educational environment:
Displaced students are exposed to painful and traumatic experiences in their countries as a result of wars and conflicts. Thus, they need a stimulating and encouraging environment that will help them recover and adapt to the new situation in host countries. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the following:
– The Director shall hold an immediate meeting, in collaboration with members of the school community composed of teachers and psychologists, to assess the current situation of displaced students and their academic, social and psychological needs. In addition to evaluating the school’s facilities and its capability to accommodate these students.
– The director should develop a comprehensive action plan to meet the needs of displaced students, in collaboration with the school administration, planners, agents, and NGOs, to ensure that the necessary material support is provided to meet their needs. This plan includes the development of specialized educational programs for displaced students, as well as psychosocial support programs, to help them adapt to the changes they face.
– The principal provides appropriate infrastructure within the school, in collaboration with civil society organizations, such as equipped classrooms, playground and recreational areas. In addition to offering safe places for students, for gatherings and social interaction, teachers also offer safety and health education programs for displaced students at school.
– The manager works to build strong partnerships with parents and the local community, to support displaced students. These partnerships entail organizing outreach events between the school and parents, sharing information, and communicating periodically about the progress and needs of displaced students.
The loss of educational opportunities
The education of displaced students may be interrupted or incomplete due to their experiences in their country. Consequently, they require appropriate educational programs that can aid them in regaining their educational level and compensating for what they have missed. To address this challenge, it is necessary to follow these steps:
– Specialized teachers should provide additional classes, lessons that were missed, and intensive educational programs for displaced students, which will help them improve their scholastic level.
– Curriculum coordinators should seek out tailored educational programs and initiatives for students who have been displaced, such as language learning classes, academic education, and courses to improve learning skills.
– Psychosocial support professionals provide displaced students with recreational and educational programs that help them regain confidence in themselves and the world around them.
– The director works with pedagogical academies to provide trained and qualified teachers who can adapt to different cultures and deal with the needs of displaced students, and also offer support to enhance their educational level.
Difficulty in integrating displaced students into the new environment.
Many students encounter integration difficulties during displacement due to drastic changes in their lives, which include leaving their country and moving to new educational environments. These changes can be stressful and frustrating, making it very difficult to integrate into the new educational environment, for they have to change their language and culture. This is one of the most difficult challenges for displaced students. Therefore, they may find it difficult to communicate with their colleagues and teachers in the host state as a result of their inability to speak the local language, as well as their feeling of isolation and alienation due to the different culture of the host state. To avoid this, the following solutions can be followed:
– Psychologists and social workers apply the best means of providing adequate assistance and support to displaced students. This contributes to alleviating their psychological stress and helping them adapt to new changes in their lives.
– The director holds periodic meetings with teachers to discuss the development of innovative educational strategies to help migrant students absorb the new curriculum.
– Teachers offer activities that encourage displaced students to interact socially with local students by participating in social activities and volunteering. This contributes to promoting understanding and tolerance between them, building bridges of communication and cooperation.
A sense of discrimination and racism in the new educational environment.
The host state community may not accept displaced students. So, as a result, they will face discrimination, racism, and isolation on daily basis within the school. This has an impact on their mental health and ability to adapt to the new environment. It also negatively affects their academic performance and their ability to integrate into school. To address this challenge, it is the responsibility of the school and local communities in host countries to work together to change negative stereotypes and promote acceptance, tolerance and coexistence in accordance with the following steps:
– Teachers discuss with their students the causes of displacement, and its impact on the lives of the displaced, to enhance their understanding and develop the values of tolerance and cooperation.
– The school’s public activities officers organize events and activities to promote cultural diversity and encourage respect and understanding among local and displaced students, such as holidays, joint ventures and cultural events.
– Teachers coordinate volunteering projects that would bring together local and displaced students to work on a joint project that benefits society, helping to build cooperation and friendship among students and foster social integration.
– Social and psychological specialists hold meetings and workshops for parents to discuss issues related to displacement and its psychological and social impact on displaced persons, thereby contributing to confidence-building and enhancing their understanding of the challenges faced by displaced people.
Impact of psychological trauma faced by displaced students.
Trauma is a serious problem that requires immediate attention and intervention, due to its many disturbing effects on displaced students, such as anxiety, depression, and psychological stress, up to post-traumatic stress disorders, which can damage their lives and their future. These can have a negative impact on their school achievement and daily lives in general. The following steps can be taken to overcome this challenge:
– Psychologists provide emotional and psychological support to displaced students by assessing their psychological needs and identifying potential problems they may face, providing consultative, individual, and collective sessions to assist them in addressing the psychological and emotional challenges related to their experience of being displaced, as well as enhancing their skills, self-confidence, and ability to adapt to the new school environment.
– Social workers provide advice and support to displaced students and provide sufficient information to help them benefit from community services available to them, such as health insurance, ongoing education, and awareness programs that promote communication and cultural understanding between displaced students and the school community.
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Ultimately, we must acknowledge that education is a fundamental right for every human being, including those who are displaced. And it is essential to offer quality educational opportunities and additional support for students who experience psychosocial disorders as a result of displacement.
School community members who work with displaced students need to be trained to identify their special needs, and have the knowledge and skills to deal with the challenges they encounter. In addition to encouraging cooperation between the countries they left and the host States, to provide better educational opportunities for them. Policies and procedures must be put in place to ensure the right to education of displaced students, and facilitate their integration into the host country’s education system.
This article was published in issue 16 of Manhajiyat magazine and was translated into English as part of a joint project with the Centre for Lebanese Studies and (PROCOL). All rights reserved. Republishing or quoting the article is prohibited without citing the source or obtaining written permission.