Alison Aaron

Professor Phillips

Eng 170-22

10 November 2020

(“Argumentative Research-based Essay (draft 2):” Refugee Children Deserve a Free and Proper       Education)

After packing one small bag, leaving home forever, traveling through the most extreme conditions, just to be denied the right of education is the reality of many refugee children all over the globe. Different countries have different systems of education, for their citizens and the refugees/immigrants they take in. Some systems offer free education, others do not even teach in school buildings. Children all over, no matter their background, all have the right to a good system of education. The difference between good education or bad/no education can mean life or death, success or failure for anyone. Education can provide an opportunity for refugee children to find a sense of normalcy and safety, better well being, and to expand their knowledge, thus allowing them to lead successful lives.

For refugee children, education is more than going to school to learn the ABCs. School can be a place where refugee kids gain a sense of belonging and steadiness for the first time in their life. Stephanie Garben stressed the importance of providing education to all refugee children in her article “It Will be a Weapon in my Hand”. Most schools have standards to try to support the students and give them hope and a place of normalcy. Education during periods of conflict provides the students with a daily routine, a familiar setting, familiar faces from the teachers and other students. When refugee children, who have seen conflict no one should ever see or experience, go to school they get to share their emotions, thoughts, and worries with other students who can relate to them. Some family members may find these feelings “unacceptable” or they do not want them scared in their household, which in turn lends school to be the safe space where these kids can share their feelings. (Demirdjian Et. al). Julie Beck of The Atlantic explains that studies have shown expressing your emotions comes with several benefits. It has shown to help breast cancer patients, people with asthma, and people who have lived through a traumatic experience. It is common to see emotional expression and a positive outlook on life in people who have lived to 100 years old (Beck). For children it is very important they express their feelings to someone they trust and even someone who can understand what they are going through. School is so important because this is the place where children can talk with each other and help each other with their problems.

Another person refugee children could talk to is a school psychologist. Mental health has been a popular topic recently, as people are becoming more aware of its importance. Children who have left their only home with barely any belongings after witnessing extreme conflict will have trauma to some degree. Therapists and psychologists are so important to helping children deal with their trauma in a healthy manner. Therapists can be expensive and different countries have different policies on mental health professions and insurance, leaving little room in some places for people to seek help. School can be the best place for children of conflict. They have teachers who will listen to them, and peers who will relate to them. The students all come from different backgrounds too, which allows the kids to meet people with different stories. This allows students to feel liberated, meet new people, gain trust of others, and help them stay focused on their studies. (Demirdjian et al). Besides being able to emotionally support students, teachers can provide education on topics that may seem like common sense, but these kids never learned. Subjects such as health and illnesses, problem solving, and coping skills (UN General Assembly). These seemingly simple topics provide students with knowledge they may never have learned elsewhere, whereas other kids would learn these from their parents or life experiences.

Another great result of education is a skill set needed to be successful in life after school. School provides the biggest opportunity for refugees  to seek education they can use to start a successful career path. Marion Hoffman and Mariana Echandi told the story of Marie Rose, a refugee from Burundi who escaped to Cuba to take advantage of their free education system. Marie Rose left behind her husband and children because she understands the value of education is so important, she plans to reunite with her husband and kids soon. Marie has a scroll full of diplomas in “Spanish, Italian, computer studies, massage, negotiation and secretarial skills, among others”, and is still working for more (Hoffman Et al). Cuba’s free education system has benefited many refugees alongside Marie Rose. Quotes from teachers and parents of refugee children from Ikafe have expressed the need for proper education for children. `Children are our future,’ says Johnson Mayen, deputy headteacher and an adviser to the Dinka people in Ikafe. `We need to stay here so that they can continue their education. Education is our last weapon. Perhaps the only one we have left.’ (Van der Gaag). Teachers are the people who see first hand how these children can change and grow into well educated and successful people. Even though they may be biased, teachers and parents still get to see these kids grow up and become successful and hard working adults, which cannot be done without quality education.

One danger of a school for refugee students, or a school mostly filled with refugee students is that they can attract violence. During war and conflict schools may be the only stable structure. They also, obviously, are filled with teachers. Teachers have very important jobs in helping students grow and learn so they can be popular targets for attack (UN General Assembly). One solution to avoid most violence against schools and school children would be non-formal education. “Non-formal education may take place both within and outside education institutions, and cater to persons of all ages” (Demirdjian Et. al). Non-formal education has so much flexibility, you can instruct in school or out of school. Out of school can be at someone’s home, a random field, a shop, or even a different location every day. Whatever works for the teachers and students to keep them safe. Non-formal education also focuses on the subjects being taught, not just where school takes place. Being a refugee means these children have a much different situation than the “normal” child has. They learn differently because they were exposed to violence and conflict from such a young age, but they may not know about simple topics that can seem like common sense to a first world child.

A non-formal education study was carried out in Denver Colorado with refugee children. Although the school was not a target for violence the non-formal education system worked well. Besides the typical studies in school the focus of this form of non-formal education was sharing feelings and experiences. The children were grouped up and shared their experiences and got to know each other. This helped them relieve tension they had and make new friends in their school (Demirdjian Et. al). Non-formal education has room for a lot of flexibility for when, where, what, and how refugee children are taught. This flexibility is important to help these children who had a “non-formal” childhood.

One issue with a non-formal education system targeted to refugees is that refugees only pay examination fees when children native to the country have to pay loads of money in tuition (in some countries). This can lead to tension and even conflict, just as the refugees escaped that already. “The biggest difference between the refugees and the nationals is not language or culture, but the price of learning. For the refugees education is free (except for examination fees); local people have to pay. And it is expensive: tuition fees, examination fees, parent-teacher association fees. ‘The parents are very hot about this,’ explains John Baptist, a teacher in a blue shirt who does most of the talking” (Van der Gaag). A simple solution would be to change the system to make refugees pay a little more and natives a little less. Or the government could pay for all and have a completely public school. This is not as simple as thought though. It is hard to change a system after it has already been established, but that does not mean that it is impossible. One likely solution is to have the refugee children pay back once they have found a job. Similarly, New York state established a similar system called the Excelsior Scholarship. As long as one is a resident of New York and makes less than $125,000 a year they can attend any SUNY or CUNY school for free, as long as they live in the state for the same amount of time they were in school once they have graduated (NY gov). This program makes sense because while the students are not directly paying back the college they went to they are putting money back into the state economy that funds the college they went to. Setting up a program like this is the best solution to avoid the unfair school funding systems in some refugee populated countries.

At the least, refugee children deserve a proper education. After all they have gone through: leaving the only home they know and making a treacherous journey through the most extreme conditions. Schools and teachers can provide a sense of stability and normalcy that helps these kids get the help they need and grow into upstanding people. Education also has the ability to give each child the power to have a successful life, not only benefiting themselves but the country and community that brought them in. Works Cited

Demirdjian, Lala. Education, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers / Lala Demirdjian. Bloomsbury, 2012

Garbern, Stephanie Chow, et al. “‘It Will Be a Weapon in My Hand’: The Protective Potential of Education for Adolescent Syrian Refugee Girls in Lebanon.” Refuge, vol. 36, no. 1, Spring 2020, p. 3+. Gale General OneFile

Hoffmann, Marion, and Mariana Echandi. “Cuba’s free education system benefits refugees.” UN Chronicle, vol. 43, no. 3, Sept.-Nov. 2006, p. 73. Gale General OneFile

“Impact of Armed Conflict on Children : Note / by the Secretary-General.” Refworld, UN General Assembly, 26 Aug. 1996

Nikki van der Gaag. “Last weapon: refugees (in Ikafe) see education as the way … to a better future.” New Internationalist, no. 283, Sept. 1996, pp. 28-9. Gale General OneFile

“Tuition-Free Degree Program: The Excelsior Scholarship.” Welcome to the State of New York, 29 July 2020, www.ny.gov/programs/tuition-free-degree-program-excelsior-scholarship.

Beck, Julie. “How to Get Better at Expressing Your Feelings.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 17 July 2018

 

 

 

Alison Aaron

Professor Phillips

Eng 170-22

18 November 2020

(“Argumentative Research-based Essay (draft 3):” Refugee Children Deserve a Free and Proper Education)

After packing one small bag, leaving home forever, and traveling through the most extreme conditions, just to be denied the right of education is the reality of many refugee children all over the globe. 3.7 million refugee children of school age, more than half of the 7.1 million, do not go to school (UNHCR). Different countries have different systems of education, for their citizens and the refugees they take in. Some systems offer free education, others do not even teach in school buildings. Children all over, no matter their background, all have the right to a good system of education. Article 28 of the Conventions on the Rights of the Child states the right to education that everyone deserves; while article 29 discusses the great potential children can live up to with the right education (UN General Assembly). Education can provide an opportunity for refugee children to find a sense of normalcy and safety, better well being, and to expand their knowledge, thus allowing them to lead successful lives. 

For refugee children resettled in a new country, education is more than going to school to learn the ABCs. School can be a place where refugee kids gain a sense of belonging and steadiness for the first time in their life. Stephanie Garben, who gathered research for Education in Emergencies, stressed the importance of providing education to all refugee children in her article “It Will be a Weapon in my Hand”. Most schools have standards to try to support the students and give them hope and a place of normalcy. Education during periods of conflict provides the students with a daily routine, a familiar setting, familiar faces from the teachers and other students. When refugee children, who have seen conflict no one should ever see or experience, go to school they get to share their emotions, thoughts, and worries with other students who can relate to them. Some family members may find these feelings “unacceptable” or they do not want them shared in their household, which in turn lends school to be the safe space where these kids can share their feelings (Demirdjian et al.). Julie Beck of The Atlantic explains that studies have shown expressing emotions comes with several benefits. It has shown to help breast cancer patients, people with asthma, and, more relevantly, people who have lived through a traumatic experience. It is common to see emotional expression and a positive outlook on life in people who have lived to 100 years old (Beck). For children it is very important they express their feelings to someone they trust and even someone who can understand what they are going through. School is so important because this is the place where children can communicate with each other and help each other deal with their problems.

Another person refugee children could talk to is a school psychologist. Mental health has been a popular topic recently, as people are becoming more aware of its importance. Children who have left their only home with barely any belongings after witnessing extreme conflict will have trauma to some degree. Therapists and psychologists are so important to helping children deal with their trauma in a healthy manner. Therapists can be expensive and different countries have different policies on mental health professions and insurance, leaving little room in some places for people to seek help. School can be the best place for children of conflict. Although psychologists are more common in first world western countries, students have teachers and their peers to help them. The students all come from different backgrounds too, which allows the kids to meet people with different stories. This allows students to feel liberated, meet new people, gain trust of others, and help them stay focused on their studies. (Demirdjian et al.). Besides being able to emotionally support students, teachers can provide education on topics that may seem like common sense, but these kids never learned. Subjects such as health and illnesses, problem solving, and coping skills (UN General Assembly). Even though these subjects can seem unimportant they are a big part of proper refugee education. 

Another great result of education is a skill set needed to be successful in life after school. School provides the biggest opportunity for refugees  to seek education they can use to start a successful career path. Marion Hoffman and Mariana Echandi spent some time with and told the story of Marie Rose, a refugee from Burundi who escaped to Cuba to take advantage of their free education system. Marie Rose left behind her husband and children because she understands the value of education is so important, she plans to reunite with her husband and kids soon. Marie has a scroll full of diplomas in “Spanish, Italian, computer studies, massage, negotiation and secretarial skills, among others”, and is still working for more (Hoffman et al.). Cuba’s free education system has benefited many refugees alongside Marie Rose. Quotes from teachers and parents of refugee children from Ikafe, a country that takes in many refugees from Uganda, have expressed the need for proper education for children. `Children are our future,’ says Johnson Mayen, deputy headteacher and an adviser to the Dinka people in Ikafe. `We need to stay here so that they can continue their education. Education is our last weapon.’ (Van der Gaag). Teachers are the people who see first hand how these children can change and grow into well educated and successful people. Teachers and parents still get to see these kids grow up and become successful and hard working adults. 

One danger of a school for refugee students, or a school mostly filled with refugee students is that they can attract violence. During war and conflict schools may be the only stable structure. They also, obviously, are filled with teachers. Teachers have very important jobs in helping students grow and learn so they can be popular targets for attack in the refugee camps (UN General Assembly). One solution to avoid most violence against schools and school children would be non-formal education. “Non-formal education may take place both within and outside education institutions, and cater to persons of all ages” (Demirdjian et al.). Non-formal education has so much flexibility, where instruction can be in school or out of the school building. Out of school can be at someone’s home, a random field, a shop, or even a different location every day. Whatever works for the teachers and students to keep them safe. Non formal education is especially important at refugee camps. With little access to a school building, school supplies, or teachers standard education would not work. Non formal education, with its ability to be flexible for learning in most environments, is perfect to start teaching refugees at camps. 

 Non-formal education also focuses on the subjects being taught, not just where school takes place. This helps refugees learn about topics that aren’t standard to most students. Being a refugee means these children have a much different situation than the “normal” child has which is why non formal education is so important. 

A non-formal education study was carried out in Denver Colorado with refugee children. Although the school was not a target for violence the non-formal education system worked well. Besides the typical studies in school the focus of this form of non-formal education was sharing feelings and experiences. The children were grouped up and shared their experiences and got to know each other. This helped them relieve tension they had and make new friends in their school (Demirdjian et al.). Non-formal education has room for a lot of flexibility for when, where, what, and how refugee children are taught. This flexibility is important to help these children who had a “non-formal” childhood. 

One issue with a non-formal education system designed for refugees is that refugees only pay examination fees when children native to the country have to pay loads of money in tuition (in some countries). This can lead to tension and even conflict, just as the refugees escaped that already. “For the refugees education is free (except for examination fees); local people have to pay. And it is expensive: tuition fees, examination fees, parent-teacher association fees. ‘The parents are very hot about this,’ explains John Baptist, a teacher” (Van der Gaag). A simple solution would be to change the system to make refugees pay a little more and natives a little less. Or the government could pay for all and have a completely public school. This is not a simple solution though. It is hard to change a system after it has already been established, but that does not mean that it is impossible. One likely solution is to have the refugee children pay back once they have found a job. Similarly, New York state established a system called the Excelsior Scholarship. As long as one is a resident of New York and makes less than $125,000 a year they can attend any SUNY or CUNY school for free, as long as they live in the state for the same amount of time they were in school once they have graduated (NY gov). This program makes sense because while the students are not directly paying back the college they went to they are putting money back into the state economy that funds the college they went to. Setting up a program like this is the best solution to avoid the unfair school funding systems in some refugee populated countries. 

At the least, refugee children deserve a proper education. After all they have gone through: leaving the only home they know and taking a long, deadly trip. Schools and teachers can provide a sense of stability and normalcy that helps these kids get the help they need and grow into upstanding people. Education also has the ability to give each child the power to have a successful life, not only benefiting themselves but the country and community that brought them in.

Works Cited

Demirdjian, Lala. Education, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers / Lala Demirdjian. Bloomsbury, 2012

Garbern, Stephanie Chow, et al. “‘It Will Be a Weapon in My Hand’: The Protective Potential of Education for Adolescent Syrian Refugee Girls in Lebanon.” Refuge, vol. 36, no. 1, Spring 2020, p. 3+. Gale General OneFile

Hoffmann, Marion, and Mariana Echandi. “Cuba’s free education system benefits refugees.” UN Chronicle, vol. 43, no. 3, Sept.-Nov. 2006, p. 73. Gale General OneFile

“Impact of Armed Conflict on Children : Note / by the Secretary-General.” Refworld, UN General Assembly, 26 Aug. 1996 

Nikki van der Gaag. “Last weapon: refugees (in Ikafe) see education as the way … to a better future.” New Internationalist, no. 283, Sept. 1996, pp. 28-9. Gale General OneFile

“Tuition-Free Degree Program: The Excelsior Scholarship.” Welcome to the State of New York, 29 July 2020, www.ny.gov/programs/tuition-free-degree-program-excelsior-scholarship. 

Beck, Julie. “How to Get Better at Expressing Your Feelings.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 17 July 2018

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “Refugee Education in Crisis: More than Half of the World’s School-Age Refugee Children Do Not Get an Education.” UNHCR,