Abstracts
Abstract
Canada resettled over 74,000 Syrian refugees since 2015. However, education programs lack awareness needed to successfully promote refugee academic integration. Little research focuses on young adult refugees (YARs) aged out of traditional schools due to asylum displacement and disrupted education, left with adult education schools as their only alternative to complete high school. Drawing upon 29 semi-structured interviews with Syrian YARs in Montreal, findings suggest that this subgroup is unintentionally excluded by educational policy-makers. Although YARs are survivors, their drive was found to be insufficient when confronted with systemic barriers that prevent at-risk students from proceeding smoothly through school to reach their highest potential.
Keywords:
- Syrian young adult refugees,
- academic integration,
- systemic barriers,
- adult education,
- educational fairness and inclusion,
- social justice
Résumé
Le Canada a réinstallé plus de 74 000 réfugiés syriens depuis 2015. Cependant, les programmes d’éducation manquent de la conscience nécessaire pour promouvoir avec succès l’intégration scolaire des réfugiés. Peu de recherches se concentrent sur les jeunes adultes réfugiés qui ont été exclus des écoles traditionnelles en raison du déplacement lié à l’asile et de l’interruption de leur scolarité, et qui n’ont plus que les écoles pour adultes comme seule alternative pour terminer leurs études secondaires. S’appuyant sur 29 entretiens semi-structurés avec des jeunes adultes réfugiés syriens à Montréal, les résultats suggèrent que ce sous-groupe est involontairement exclu par les décideurs politiques en matière d’éducation. Bien que les jeunes adultes réfugiés soient des survivants, leur motivation s’est avérée insuffisante face aux obstacles systémiques qui empêchent les étudiants à risque de poursuivre leur scolarité sans encombre et d’atteindre leur plein potentiel.
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Appendices
Biographical notes
Arianne Maraj is a PhD graduate in Education and Society from McGill University. She can be reached at ari29maraj@gmail.com.
Domenique Sherab is an Independent Researcher. She can be reached at domeniquesherab@gmail.com.
Milagros Calderon-Moya is a Visiting Scholar at the Immigration Initiative at Harvard, Harvard Graduate School of Education. She can be reached at milagros.calderonmoya@mail.mcgill.ca.
Ratna Ghosh is a Distinguished James McGill Professor Emeritus at McGill University. She can be reached at ratna.ghosh@mcgill.ca.
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