In the present time, education often takes a backseat as the international community directs its attention toward other matters. Yet, the repercussions of denying education to refugee children are profound and should not be overlooked. The effects of education cannot be ignored in these days.
While the world and international governments might not openly acknowledge it, this generation has struggled to effectively address conflicts.
The rate of successful conflict resolution remains notably limited, yielding minimal impact on other nations engulfed in strife.
This fact is underscored by the persistent outbreak of conflicts in certain regions. It is with separatist sentiments fuelling many contemporary civil wars.
The direct impact of this dynamic on refugee children is significant. When the aftermath of conflicts deeply affects urban refugees, the predicament of those residing in camps is even more complex.
The challenges are intricate and often defy simple answers.
Consequently, children’s lives are considerably disrupted across various spheres, as elaborated below:
1. Psychological issues
Primarily, within the realm of psychology, refugee children are tragically among the most afflicted by trauma and psychological burdens.
These mental health challenges have deeply impacted their young minds, as the brutal consequences of conflicts prove overwhelming.
The following table paints a startling picture of the staggering proportions of mental health issues endured by refugee children:
- Loneliness: 25%
- Depression: 24%
- High likelihood of PTSD: 30.4%
- Generalized anxiety: 26.8%
- Somatization: 21.4%
- Traumatic grief: 21.4%
While these statistical revelations may appear astonishing, they underscore an inescapable reality for millions of refugee children.
To some extent, the school environment holds potential to alleviate these psychological burdens.
It provides an avenue for them to engage in constructive thinking and forge new relationships. Equally, it offers a respite from the misery and anguish of the wars they have witnessed.
In the midst of such conditions, no child can reasonably be expected to thrive academically within any educational institution.
What are the solutions for mental health issues?
However, graciously several humanitarian organizations headed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have been working to support refugee children in dealing with mental health sickness.
To emphasize the importance, the UNHCR has adopted a new education strategy, referred to as Refugee Education 2030.
The objective is to cultivate an environment conducive to nurturing social and emotional learning (SEL). The strategy emphasizes the importance of furnishing mental health and psychosocial aid to refugee children. It will enable them to focus, learn, and establish wholesome connections.
In numerous parts of the globe, countless refugee children lack the privilege of accessing psychological support within their new host nations.
Although there have been sporadic research studies exploring psychological interventions for refugee youth during the post-migration phase (following resettlement in a new country), there is an absence of evidence-based, culturally sensitive programs tailored to assist refugee youth during the migration phase.
Why are humanitarian organizations unable to reduce the effects of education for refugee children?
Furthermore, humanitarian workers have contributed to nurturing positive growth among refugee youth during the migration phase.
Yet, their capacity to provide sufficient support has been impeded by elevated stress levels, and resource constraints. In addition, the coping mechanisms and self-care routines they employ on a daily basis.
Perhaps, a portion of the millions of refugee children has managed to partially surmount their psychological challenges. They hay have done that by compelling themselves to adapt to new lifestyles and surroundings.
However, for countless others, the battle remains genuine as they grapple with tumultuous thoughts and the inability to access education readily.
What are stress effects of education in refugees?
Drawing from extensive research, the insights of Fazel and Stein from the UK highlight the stressors that impact refugees across three distinct stages:
- In Their Country of Origin
- During Their Flight to Safety
- When Settling in a Country of Refuge
The gravity of mental health instability among refugee children cannot be overstated, particularly in the context of managing academic pursuits.
A substantial number find themselves without access to education, while those enrolled in schools continue to grapple with psychological health challenges on a separate front. Urgent global responsiveness is imperative, and host governments are called upon to transcend the provision of basic primary education.
During the formative years of 5-10, when children are shaping perspectives and navigating life’s complexities, the necessity for psychological therapy sessions to aid in stress recovery is paramount.
In global forums concerning education budgets, it’s crucial to prioritize psychological support as a foundational element.
Enrolling a child in school won’t erase the haunting echoes of gunfire or the traumatic scenes they witnessed if they haven’t healed from the ravages of conflict.
Refugee children require regular mental health assessments, either prior to or alongside their educational journey.
2. Language barrier
The next considerable challenge faced by refugee children is their ability to effectively communicate in the language of their new host countries.
While host nations may have facilitated access to schools for these children, the question remains: how can they learn when they struggle to comprehend the crucial languages of instruction?
Credible overall statistics underscore the fact that the global population of school-aged migrant and refugee children has surged by 26% since 2000, with projections indicating an unrestrained continuation of this growth.
These escalating figures indirectly signal the pressing need to ensure these children are seamlessly integrated into language programs.
These programs should equip them with foundational language skills, enabling them to grasp the essentials that will facilitate their learning within new educational environments.
What are the effects of no education according to UNICEF?
A comprehensive report from UNICEF, one of the world’s foremost advocates for children’s rights, has substantiated the pivotal role of language in the adaptation of refugee children within their host countries. Supported by verifiable field data, UNICEF’s insights underscore that language carries profound significance, reflecting identity and bearing a close association with migration.
Analytically speaking, this implies that without a grasp of the language, refugee children may perpetually grapple with a sense of incomplete acceptance and belonging in their new homeland.
The absence of linguistic familiarity could result in a perpetual feeling of being migrants or wanderers, even if they attend schools—especially at secondary and high school levels, where such provisions are limited.
Furthermore, UNICEF underscores the link between language and reckless-social well-being, directly connecting to the earlier point on psychological concerns.
In essence, if children are unable to communicate effectively and establish new friendships, even within the school environment—particularly primary schools—their emotional state may deteriorate, leading to feelings of despondency and neglect.
UNICEF also highlights the challenges of language diversity faced by educators, especially those tasked with instructing classes comprising children from diverse countries.
This poses a unique challenge, further underscoring the significance of addressing language barriers in the education of refugee children.
What are the effects of language inadequacy?
Moreover, as part of its efforts to advance the educational agenda within the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the education division of UNICEF has supplemented the discourse with research that highlights critical gaps resulting from language inadequacy among refugee children. These gaps encompass, but are not restricted to:
a. Absence of well-defined and inclusive language-in-education policies
b. Discrepancies between language policies and their implementation
c. Uncertainties regarding the duration of displacement
d. Insufficient allocation of financial, human, and teaching-learning resources
e. Inadequate teacher training
f. Limited community involvement in policy decisions
These deficiencies are profound and will persist unless intentional measures are taken to address them. Notably, there exist 7,097 living languages globally, and a significant 40% of the world’s children lack the opportunity to learn in their native tongues.
This resonates with the resonant UNICEF slogan, ‘If you don’t understand, how can you learn?’ Adding weight to this pivotal query, they stress that ‘children learn better in their mother tongue first.’
This robust research, culled from diverse countries and the broader global context, holds applicability to refugee children worldwide.
The pivotal role of language acquisition in the educational provision for refugee children cannot be underestimated.
“Language is at the centre of human life […] knowing a second language is a normal part of human existence; it may be unusual to know only one.” UNICEF
What are the challenges to learn a second language?
One of the effects of education is communication.
Nonetheless, obstacles to acquiring a second language are manifold and diverse.
These impediments encompass, among others, factors such as first language interference. Additionally, disparities between the native language and the second language further contribute to these challenges.
Lastly, the intricacy of the second language and learner-specific attributes also play a role in hindering the learning process.
In other proven research conducted on some Syrian refugees about learning new languages by Menashy and Zhakaria, the conclusion was surprising. It stated the difficulties in acquiring a second language varied.
These variables exhibit diversity based on the specific language and country context. They have been identified to fall within six distinct categories: economic, personal, social, linguistic, temporal, and psychological.
However, a prevalent challenge that resonated across the participants was the intricacy of language, encompassing its structure, grammar, and pronunciation. Another significant hurdle arose from societal reluctance to engage with refugee communities. Additional obstacles were attributed to constraints in attending language courses due to time limitations and the absence of financial support from certain governments.
Moreover, participants grappled with psychological burdens arising from their experiences during the Syrian conflict and their subsequent search for asylum.
This compounded the difficulties they encountered and, in some communities’ eyes, led to them being perceived as potential threats.
While it is acknowledged that not all refugee children can be enrolled in formal schooling, concerted global efforts can be made to mitigate the impacts they face.
Despite extensive research, the true depths of these effects of education remain challenging to quantify.
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