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Chapter 17 - Family-School Relationships in Supporting Refugee Children’s School Trajectories

from Part III - Intersectoral Psychosocial Interventions in Working with Refugee Families

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2020

By
Mina Fazel  and
Aoife O’Higgins
Edited by
Lucia De Haene  and
Cécile Rousseau
Lucia De Haene
Affiliation:
University of Leuven, Belgium
Cécile Rousseau
Affiliation:
McGill University, Montréal
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Summary

Schools can play a key role in helping refugee families manage the transition into the host society. When considering how best to support refugee children, schools should first consider how accessible they are to refugee families in the community and what tools and skills they may need to carry out a holistic assessment given the myriad complexities that this population can present with. Schools should maintain a family lens as they are likely to be well placed to facilitate refugee families feeling a sense of belonging in their host country as well as signposting them to other services if any additional needs become apparent. Refugee children would benefit from schools carrying out comprehensive assessments of their learning needs and cognitive abilities in order to optimise provision and support. Mental health interventions for refugee children have been studied in schools and include assisting parenting in a new environment as well as supporting everyday living skills.

Keywords

refugeechildrenschoolmental health
Type
Chapter
Information
Working with Refugee Families
Trauma and Exile in Family Relationships
 , pp. 277 - 291
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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