engleski

Integration of refugee children: Perspectives of refugee children, their parents, and school teachers

The aim of this study was to explore the needs and perspectives of refugee children, their parents, and their teachers in the process of integration within the school. Even though Croatia was traditionally seen more as an emigration than immigration country, the integration of refugees has become a hot topic following the outbreak of the refugee crisis in 2015. One of the key stakeholders in the integration process is school. Thus, it is important to assess integration needs and challenges at school level. To address the issue of integration of children in a new society, we conducted a qualitative study in five elementary schools in Zagreb. In a series of interviews and focus groups we explored refugee childrens’, their parents' and school teachers’ perception of integration challenges and opportunities, as well as the possible ways to facilitate it. Results of this study suggest that different actors in the integration process have different perspectives on the challenges that refugee children face in this process. Whereas some challenges (e.g. language barrier) are recognized by all actors, others differ depending on the role of the respondents. Especially interesting is the finding that different actors attribute responsibility for the outcome of the integration process differently and have different perspectives on what could be done to facilitate the integration of refugee children in schools. The refugee perspective should be considered when planning programs that could facilitate the integration process.

qualitative study ; refugee integration ; refugee children ; chool teachers ; parental perspective

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