by Zahra Zamani
During the recent decades, Canada has gained an international reputation as the instigator of multiculturalism and a pioneer in immigration and refugee intake in the world. The questions that arise because of the great number of intakes are: to what extent Canada has been successful in integration of these refugees in the society, and if the Canadian government established the practices for their integration in Canadian society.
Since education is a factor that has the capacity to encourage development in individuals through evoking talents and giving awareness which lead to empowering people, it can be a good framework for including refugees in host countries. In this respect, investing in education can be a fast way a country maintains to promote refugees’ economic and social welfare. Moreover, at the individual level, success in education mostly leads to employment success and financial stability in life. Thus, educational accommodations can prepare the ground for better integration of the refugees, and their doing well in schools can bring about their future economic success.
One of the great obstacles that refugees face in Canadian education system, and I experienced it myself as an immigrant, is the lack of recognition of their academic credentials. There are lots of immigrants that have finished different levels of university education plus having years of experience in specific fields of study, however, upon their arrival in their new country they need to begin anew and spend money to get Canadian education. The outcome of these policies will be desperate situation for refugees in which they are not able to use their already existing human capital nor able to finance their Canadian education. This lack of enough Canadian education becomes a key factor in maintaining refugees in poverty because they won’t have a big chance of being hired in the jobs that they are proficient with (they can make a good money out of it) and thus, lack of economic integration.
A distinct study done by Brewer in 2016 reveals that education system is not very effective regarding refugees’ educational status since it lacks programs necessary for the recognition of refugees’ “funds of knowledge” (p.136). In other words, refugees’ strengths and reservoir of past knowledge and competencies are not identified by the host education system, therefore it is not likely that it can better respond to the needs of these vulnerable individuals (Brewer, 2016, p.136).
Based on another study by Yu, Oulette and Warmginton in 2007, it is observed that refugees have enormous potential and those who are well-educated can have a positive role in Canadian society. These researchers argue that effective policy interventions are needed for the integration of refugees otherwise their disadvantages will affect their life in Canada. They discuss that since refugees cannot compete with other job applicants (such as skilled-worker immigrants and Canadian citizens) in Canadian market, they likely experience a life of poverty in their host country. These researchers discuss the necessity of some specialized integration services due to the likely traumatic migration of refugees which may impact their integration in their host country.
Reviewing some studies done about the refugees’ educational status in Canada, it seems that there is no specific policy and specialized intervention plan for refugees. Certainly, when refugees are treated with effective policies which value their previous knowledge and provide them with skills they need for a fresh start in their host country, they can overcome their traumatic past with enough empowerment to integrate to their host country. According to Lifelong Learning Platform (2016), educational policies alongside social and employment policies, are “a meaningful tool for constructing integrated and cohesive societies”. Thus, we expect democratic countries like Canada to ensure of its members’ access to inclusive, equitable and good quality educational opportunities and assistance.
References
Brewer, C. A. (2016). An outline for including refugees in Canadian educational policy. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education. 7(1). 133-141.
Lifelong Learning Platform. (2016, September). Integrating refugees and migrants through education: Building bridges in divided societies. Retrieved from lllplatform.eu/lll/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/LLL-Platform-Policy-Paper-Refugees-and-migrants-and-inclusive-education-Sept-2016.pdf
Yu, S., Oulette, E., & Warmington, A. (2007). Refugee integration in Canada: A survey of empirical evidence and existing services. Canada’s Journal on Refugees, 24(2), 17– 34.
