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The increasingly diverse nature of our society and the ever-increasing influence of

globalisation will no doubt impact on how teachers interact within their classroom and the greater

community. Refugee students are faced with many setbacks in their transition to Western school

life. These typically centre around the fact that they have had little to no schooling before seeking

asylum; that they have experienced many horrors in their home countries, not to mention the

trauma of their voyage to escape persecution and the experience of detention; all of this with a lack

of community support on top can make it extremely difficult to flourish in a new community. These

setbacks can be offset by programs that promote diversity and offer refugee students individualised

support. This paper will look at two programs one in western Sydney and another program in

Victoria. The “Refugee Action Support” (RAS) program is highly beneficial not only to the refugee

students but also for the tutors who implement the program. The Victorian school support

programme looks at a holistic model and a whole school approach to reaching the learning needs

and social-emotional needs of refugee students.

Literature Review

Naidoo’s paper identifies that the literature surrounding refugee education, mostly focuses

on relationships between their home and school life; moving away from standardised testing;

improving teacher training to identify and address student needs; how refuges adjust to new cultural

norms; and how schools enforce these norms (Naidoo, 2012). These relationships are addressed

through two key concepts: academic literacy and service learning. Street suggests that literacy skill

development is heavily grounded in historical, political, social and economic factors (1984, 1993,

1995, cited in Naidoo, 2012). Therefore, highlighting the need for tasks and strategies that not only

focus on the individual student’s literacy skills but their ability to decode, use and participate in

language and as a result the new dominant culture. Thus, all teachers have a duty to implement and

promote literacy and numeracy strategies that provide refugee students with the opportunity to

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reach the academic potential often masked by dominant social, educational and political agendas

(Milton, Rhol & House, 2007, Miller & Windle, 2010, cited in Naidoo, 2012).

Naidoo (2012) highlights that this a prevailing issue in standardised testing and the current

NAPLAN program. Bartlett and Garcia’s (2011, cited in Naidoo, 2012) study highlights the need for

pedagogy that engages students by emphasising the significance of their culture and community.

Another significant aspect to this study is the role of service learning and its benefits to both pre-

service teachers and the students within the program. Service learning provides student teachers

with the opportunity to work as part of a community rather than as an employee of the system. This

is because student teachers who engage in service learning programs develop their inter-personal

skills and foster a greater sense of social responsibility for their students (Eyler, 2002, cited in

Naidoo, 2012). The emphasis on reflection allows student teachers to advance their knowledge,

skills, and cognitive capacities, developing an understanding of different cultures and questioning

their own values and beliefs (Eyler, 2002, cited in Naidoo, 2012).

Block, Cross, Riggs and Gibbs (2014) focus on the influences a that shape the outcomes of

Refugee children. They highlight the realities refugee students face throughout the immigration

process, including the adjustment to a new language and culture, coping with the outfall of a

disrupted or negligible education; the experience of trauma during displacement; and the limitations

of the vulnerabilities forced upon them through poverty, stereotypes and discrimination (Fazel et.al.,

2012, cited in Block et.al., 2014). It is clear that these realities place refugee students at a greater

risk of suffering poorer mental health, further limiting their education and prosperity (Correa-Velez

et.al., 2010 cited in Block et.al., 2014). Furthermore, it is evident that school experiences lacking in

cultural support can have profound impacts on their education and learning outcomes (Porche et.al.,

2011, Watson, 2009 cited in Block et.al., 2014). They can be disengaged, disempowered, unable to

socialise, drop out from school, and achieve much less than others affecting their future

opportunities and circumstances (Correa-Velez et.al., 2010 cited in Block et.al., 2014).

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Schools are situated in the best position to address these issues, by improving students’ self-

esteem, social inclusion, resilience and potential (Downey, 2007 and Jeffery, 2004, cited in Block

et.al., 2014). These can be addressed through programs that specifically target the needs of refugee

students. Block et.al. suggests that it is a failure of the Australian educations system in using a deficit

model that does not consider the intersecting issues of refugee students and that they need to

introduce intervention programs that address the needs of refugee students by emphasising their

strengths and potential (Murray et.al., 2008 cited in block et.al., 2014). There are two targeted

support approaches considered by Block et.al. these are “holistic model and whole-school approach”

and creating an “ethos of inclusion and celebration of diversity” (Arnot and Pinson, 2005 cited in

Block et.al., 2012, p.1340). The first approach much like the RAS program incorporates the

establishment of associations between parents, the school community and local agencies to assist in

meeting the needs of refugee students (Pugh, Every & Hattam cited in block et.al., 2014). The

second approach highlights the use of strategies that explicitly value diversity and foster an inclusive

environment through school commitment to embracing and recognising diversity (Block et.al.,

2014).

Methodology

As a qualitative study, Naidoo (2012) employed a range of methods to collect her data. She

drew from previous investigations of the RAS program as well as conducted her own interviews semi

structured individual and group interviews with various stakeholders. These included the school

executive members, the program organisers, classroom teachers, refugee students and the RAS

tutors (Naidoo, 2012). In order to ascertain how effective and valuable the RAS program is in

supporting refugee students in their learning. Gall, Gall and Borg (2015) argue that interviews are

beneficial because they allow the interviewer to gather data on both verbal and non-verbal data as

well as adapt to the circumstances and information provided by the interviewee. However, they

suggest that the downfall of this method is that bias and participant subjectivity can influence their

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results. Though it is clear in the case of Naidoo her use of results from other studies can resolve any

discrepant findings. In comparison Block et.al. (2014) used a mixed methods approach in their

methodology, this included self-reported surveys from schools to form the quantitative data they

required and much like Naidoo, Block et.al. gathered their qualitative data through interviews with

stakeholders to ascertain their experiences and perceptions of the program (2014). Questionnaires

and surveys can include open ended and closed questions, this will usually determine the type of

variables and results studies obtain (Gall et.al., 2015). This study does not specify the nature of the

questions used in their surveys, however it is safe to assume that its use to determine the level of

change schools implemented would indicate use of open ended questions.

Results

Naidoo found that the success of the program was based on a number of factors. These

included meeting the needs of refugee students; the effectiveness of the programs structure

including aspects of both teaching and learning; and its effect on families and the community. The

results reflect the perspectives of the classroom teachers, the organisers, the RAS students and the

RAS tutors (Naidoo, 2012). Classroom teachers suggested that the program was highly adaptable

and integrated well within the classroom structure. This was also highlighted by the RAS organisers

as a key element of its success, particularly the advantage of one-on-one tutor sessions to assist

students with specific needs. These needs are shown to be not only academic literacy and numeracy

skills but also social skills helping students develop familiarity with Australian culture (Naidoo, 2012).

Student perspectives highlight the value of the program also in the sense that the tutors were able

to assist them with not only academic issues but also with their adjustment into a new life, seeing

them not just as teachers but also as “friends” (Naidoo, 2012, p.272). There were also many benefits

for pre-service teachers, because they found that it was a vehicle for developing their own

understandings and empathy for their students and their predicaments. Placing a lot of emphasis on

the relationships and trust built with their students throughout the program (Naidoo, 2012).

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Block et.al’s results were derived from both qualitative data and quantitative data. The

quantitative data shows that the program was quite effective in producing change in five focus areas

these being “school policies and practices”, “school organisation, ethos and environment”,

Curriculum, teaching and learning”, “partnerships with families” and “partnerships with

agencies”(Block et.al., 2015, p.) . Overall the data demonstrates that the 38 out of 44 schools who

delivered results were mostly successful in implementing changes to assist refugee students. The

qualitative data was coded and categorised thematically into seven categories these include use of

the “partnership approach” that teachers and school executive found opened them up to resources

they didn’t know they had access to; the “schools capacity to support refugee-background students

and families” beyond EAL education, fostering a deeper empathy for refugee students. Furthermore,

“changes within schools” were generally positive and found to provide refugee students with a more

inclusive curriculum and school environment. Block et.al. also found that “staff perceptions of

parental engagement” were improved through greater understanding and empathy for families and

their circumstances. The “schools capacity to support student learning and well-being” was found to

have benefits for not only refugee students but also non-refugee students and that recognition of

the “barriers and facilitators for successful programme implementation” was key to the programs

reach (Block et. al., 2014, pp.1345-1349).

Conclusions

Naidoo concludes that Australian secondary schools need additional assistance to provide

the kinds of support that meet the complex needs of refugee students. School-community-university

partnerships have many benefits for disadvantaged students. The RAS program provides refugee

students with the opportunity to demonstrate the skills, develop their academic literacy, gain a

greater understanding of the dominant culture and language, while feeling that their own culture,

experiences and origins are valued. Block et.al. (2014) concludes that the holistic model and whole-

school approach provides support programs with the elements needed to address the disadvantage

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experienced by refugee students (Block et.al., 2014). They recommend that the programme be

streamlined to work through time constraints; the hiring of relief teachers to aid with the added

workload, and the differentiation between primary and secondary school programs.

Synthesis and implications

Teachers need to recognise the setbacks faced by refugee and LBOTE students in Australian

schools. Taylor and Sidhu (2012) highlight the fact that the education system fails to address factors

that impact upon refugee students within the mainstream classroom including; limited English

proficiency, limited Australian cultural knowledge and limited schooling experience, this something

that both Naidoo (2012) and Block et.al. (2014) agree with. However, these two articles present two

contrasting programs for assisting refugee students in their education and cultural understanding.

Even though they tend to achieve similar outcomes, it is clear they both rely heavily on the use of

external agencies and partnerships to achieve the goal of providing refugee students with a level

playing field as far as academic achievement and future learning opportunities. The key difference

being that these partnerships achieve varying outcomes the RAS program is more of a mutually

beneficial partnership between Western Sydney schools and the Western Sydney University. This is

because the program not only provides refugee students with the ability to voice their learning

issues but also build trust with their tutors to discuss other aspects of the lives that they may need

assistance with (Ferfolja, 2009). But the program also provides Western Sydney University students

with an extremely useful and relevant perspective into the function of classrooms that grapple with

our ever-increasing diversity, building not only their resilience but also their understanding and

empathy (Ferfolja, 2009).

One place these two articles differ is their approach to this issue, Naidoo argues against

what she calls a “one-size-fits-all” (Naidoo, 2012, p.266) band aid, that in many ways perpetuate the

disadvantage refugees experience particularly when discussing educational opportunities. In many

ways, you could look at the holistic model whole-school approach presented by Block et.al. as one

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such program that seeks to achieve the same goals as the RAS program but on a much larger state

wide scale. The approach used by Block et.al. (2014) stimulates an ethos of inclusion, which Ficarra

(2015) argues is a targeted policy that promotes social justice for refugees and encourages policies

and practices that meets their needs. It is therefore evident that this becomes more about changing

the culture of the school and community itself to better meet the needs of these individuals. Taylor

and Sidhu (2012) highlight that schools are the vessels for providing refugee families and students

with the tools to combat the neoliberal policies that marginalise refugees and sometime enable their

decent into socio-economic disadvantage. Furthermore, Taylor and Sidhu (2012) also argue that

racist attitudinal barriers add to struggles refugees face in their attempts to be included in society.

This can also be a critique of the RAS program because it does not attempt to address the “discursive

invisibility” (Taylor and Sidhu, 2012, p.42) of refugees that are imbedded in our social, cultural,

political and economic spheres. That the program is too reliant on stimulating change within the

refugee student to integrate and not the school as a whole. Even so the pre-service teachers

involved in this program are in prime position to recognise the invisibility of refugee students within

school and government policy frameworks, particularly in relation to standardised testing and the

NAPLAN program.

Based on the arguments presented by Taylor and Sidhu (2012) it is clear that both of these

studies provide programs that are rather lacking. This is because although the RAS program

addresses English language support and provides refugee students with ways to address the Psycho-

social and emotional needs of refugee students, it is clear that it does not offer the wider school

community with the capacity to recognise and understand refugee experiences that the holistic-

whole-school approach addresses. Even so the latter’s approach fails to address the specific needs of

refugee students, mainly because it is lacking in the extra resources needed to implement a more

supporting learning environment for refugee students.

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References

Block, K., Cross, S., Riggs, E., & Gibbs, L. (2014). Supporting schools to create an inclusive
environment for refugee students. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(12), 1337-
1355. doi:10.1080/13603116.2014.899636

Ferfolja, T. (2009). The Refugee Action Support program: developing understandings of diversity.
Teaching Education, 20(4), 395-407. doi:10.1080/10476210902741239

Ficarra, J. (2017). Comparative International Approaches to Better Understanding and Supporting

Refugee Learners. Issues in Teacher Education, 26(1), 73-84. Retrieved May 2017, from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uws.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ea4d01cf
-3d6b-4b16-82c5-238f7e6dd53a%40sessionmgr4008&vid=1&hid=4109

Gall, M.D., Gall, J.P., & Borg W.R. (2015). Case Studies In Qualitative Research. In J. Ullman, Applying
Educational Research (2nd ed.). Pearson.

Naidoo, L. (2012). Refugee action support: Crossing borders in preparing pre-service teachers for
literacy teaching in secondary schools in Greater Western Sydney. International Journal of
Pedagogies and Learning, 7(3), 266-274. Retrieved May 2017

Taylor, S., & Sidhu. R.K. (2012). Supporting refugee students in schools: what constitutes inclusive
education? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(1), 39-56.
doi:10.1080/13603110903560085

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