UNIT TOPIC/ TITLE: REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS
YEAR LEVEL: 6/7
TIME FRAME: 10 WEEKS
RATIONALE
The topic of refugees and asylum seekers is topical and important as the attitudes of
individuals and the policies of governments in relation to refugees and asylum seekers have
a profound effect on the lives of many people. Prejudiced and uninformed attitudes towards
refugees and asylum seekers can cause emotional harm to people seeking asylum in
Australia, promote racism and undermine social cohesion. It is therefore important that
students understand the varied and complex reasons why people seek asylum in Australia
and the effect of government policies and community attitudes on people seeking asylum.
Refugees and asylum seekers feature prominently in current media coverage and it is
important that students become aware of the role that the media plays in shaping public
opinion. This unit of work will help students to become informed and globally-aware citizens
who are able to critically analyse information portrayed in the media for evidence of prejudice
and/or misrepresentation or stereotyping of individuals or groups of people. Additionally, it is
hoped that students will come to understand their role in promoting empathy, tolerance and
respect in their communities and the power that they have as members of a democratic
society to influence government policies about refugees and asylum seekers, thus leading to
the betterment of society.
AIM
To encourage students to think rationally and ethically for themselves about the topic of
refugees and asylum seekers and the effects of prejudice and misinformation in media
coverage and individual and community attitudes.
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GUIDING QUESTIONS
Empirical: Why do people seek asylum in Australia?
Ethical: Does Australia have a responsibility to accept refugees?
EMPIRICAL UNDERSTANDINGS
The terms ‘asylum seeker’ and ‘refugee’ have clearly defined definitions under international
law and are not interchangeable. Students must understand the clear distinction between
these two terms. An asylum seeker is someone who is seeking international protection but
whose claim for refugee status has not yet been determined (Phillips 2011). A refugee, on
the other hand, ‘is someone who is outside his or her own country and cannot return due to
a well-founded fear of persecution because of his or her race, religion, nationality,
membership of a particular social group or political opinion’ (Australian Human Rights
Commission 2012).
Globally, there are an estimated 15.2 million refugees and 983,000 asylum seekers (Phillips
2011). People become displaced from their homelands for a number of reasons including
war, ethnic, tribal and religious violence, or political persecution. Less than 1 per cent of
these refugees are resettled each year (UNHCR, cited in Phillips 2011, p. 5). Currently,
Australia accepts around 13,000 refugees each year.
Different mechanisms have been established to deal with ‘authorised arrivals’ – people who
arrive in Australia with a valid visa – and ‘non-authorised arrivals’ – people who arrive in
Australia without a valid visa (Australian Human Rights Commission 2012). People who
arrive with a valid visa can apply to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship for a
Protection Visa and, after undergoing successful health, character and security checks, can
remain in Australia as permanent residents (Australian Human Rights Commission 2012).
On the other hand, people who arrive in Australia without a valid visa are held in off-shore
detention centres in Nauru or Papua New Guinea while their asylum claims are processed.
Policies regarding unauthorised arrivals (in particular, those who arrive by boat) have been
subject to intense public debate and recently, a ‘no-advantage’ policy was introduced to
discourage people travelling to Australia by boat.
The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol are the
principal global legal instruments responsible for defining and protecting the rights of
refugees. They clearly describe the criteria required for a person to be granted refugee
status, explicate the legal protection, assistance and rights a refugee is entitled to receive,
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and clarify the obligations of both refugees and host nations. Australia is one of 145
countries to have ratified the 1951 Convention. Some of the rights afforded to refugees in the
Convention include:
-
The right not to be expelled, except under certain, strictly defined conditions (Article 32)
-
The right to education (Article 22)
-
The right to freedom of religion (Article 4)
-
The right not to be returned to a country where he or she faces serious threats to his or
her life or freedom (Article 33)
In addition to these and other rights stipulated in the 1951 Convention and its 1967 Protocol,
all people have the right to seek asylum, in accordance with Article 14 of the 1948 Universal
declaration of human rights.
Newly-settled refugees may experience a variety of difficulties integrating into Australian life.
For example, refugees may:
-
Have difficulty communicating in English for school, work, or social purposes
-
Have missed large periods of schooling because of conflict in their homeland and/or
because they have spent long periods of time living in refugee camps
-
Have emotional and/or psychological scars because of experiences in refugee camps or
their home countries
-
Experience racism and/or prejudice (in particular, because of negative stereotypes
perpetuated in media coverage about ‘boat people’)
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ASSESSMENT
Curriculum links:
This unit of work links to both the SACSA curriculum (Society and Environment learning
area) and the Australian curriculum (English learning area) for students in Years 6 and 7.
Below I have listed the SACSA Standards (at Standard 3) and ACARA Content Descriptions
(at Year 7) that are covered in this unit.
SACSA: Society and Environment (Standard 3)
Strand: place, space and environment
3.7 Considers factors which contribute to personal and group identity and social cohesion,
and valuing cultural diversity within and outside Australia. [Id] [In] [T] [KC1]
Examples of evidence include that the student:

shows awareness of and appraises strategies used to incite prejudice against others, and ways to
detect, avoid and counter such influences [Id] [T] [KC1] [KC6]

acknowledges injustices to be overcome in Australia and elsewhere, and describes possible strategies
for themselves and others, including governments, to achieve these with respect and dignity for all
Australians. [F] [KC6]
3.8 Learns from rural and urban Aboriginal peoples and other minorities about their histories
and present day experiences, and acts to counter prejudice. [F] [T] [C]
Examples of evidence include that the student:

appraises the effects of derogatory language on any people, and suggests and reports on strategies to
counter derogatory language and prejudice. [F] [T] [C] [KC1] [KC2] [KC6]
3.9 Demonstrates responsible and respectful participation in group discussion and, in a
team, plans and negotiates social action to enhance human rights in community contexts.
[In] [T] [C] [KC2] [KC3] [KC4]
Strand: social systems
3.12 Recognises that individuals, groups or systems hold different views, values and beliefs,
and identifies those which contribute to the common good. [In] [T] [C] [KC1]
Examples of evidence include that the student:

identifies and articulates a school or community issue or problem on which people hold different views
(eg ways to resolve disputes) [T] [C] [KC2] [KC6]

analyses how views held reveal the values of the people who hold them, and argues which views
contribute to the social good (eg peaceful conflict resolution as compared with violence). [F] [In] [T] [C]
[KC1] [KC2]
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Australian Curriculum: English (Year 7)
Strand: Literature
Compare the ways that language and images are used to create character, and to influence
emotions and opinions in different types of texts (ACELT1621)
Strand: Literacy
Use interaction skills when discussing and presenting ideas and information, selecting body
language, voice qualities and other elements, (for example music and sound) to add interest
and meaning (ACELY1804)
Methods of Assessment
Teacher observation of ethical discussions
The teacher will observe and evaluate students’ participation in ethical discussions
throughout the unit of work. Informal notes will be taken by the teacher during these
discussions regarding students’ ability to participate appropriately and respectfully. In
addition, an ‘Observation/evaluation instrument for ethical discussions’ (see Appendix 1) will
be used for more formal assessment of student participation.
Analysis of student research
Students’ written responses to research questions presented in Lesson 4 provide an
opportunity to assess some of the empirical understandings developed in the unit.
Assessment will be based on two factors:
1. Accuracy of student answers and;
2. Observation of student research skills (ability to work independently; and
demonstration of effective and appropriate research skills)
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SEQUENCE OF IDEAS / LESSONS
Lesson Lesson focus/guiding question
1
Introduction to unit
2
Duties and rights
3
Why do people become refugees?
4
What is the extent and seriousness of the
problem globally?
5
Should we help?
6
What would it be like to live in a refugee
camp?
Can ends justify means?
7
8
What role do the media play in shaping public
opinion about refugees and asylum seekers?
9
What difficulties might refugees face when
they arrive in Australia?
10
What is our role?
Aim
To introduce the topic of refugees/asylum
seekers and determine students’ prior
knowledge
To explore the concept of ‘human rights’ and
to consider whether refugees/asylum seekers
have the right to come to Australia
To understand the complex and varied
reasons why people become refugees
To understand some of the key statistics and
other facts relating to refugee/asylum seeker
movement worldwide
To understand Australia’s current approach to
dealing with ‘boat arrivals’ and to consider
what responsibility Australia has to help those
in need
To explore what it would be like to live in a
refugee camp
To consider whether or not refugees are
justified in attempting to enter Australia
without valid documentation
To understand the power of language and to
help students to become informed, critical
citizens who are able to analyze media reports
for bias, prejudice, or stereotyping
To understand the difficulties that refugees
encounter adjusting to a new country and
culture
To consider what we can do to help refugees
and asylum seekers and to summarise what
students have learnt through this unit
The unit plan will apply elements of the ETHIC model (Knight & Collins, cited in Knight 2011) to help
students to ‘discover, be explicit about and practice applying the procedures of ethical decision making’
(Collins 2011). At the bottom of each lesson plan I have provided a brief description of how this lesson plan
develops elements of the ETHIC model.
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1: Introduction to Unit
Resources:
Post-it notes
Phillips, J 2011, Asylum seekers and refugees: what are the facts?, Parliament of Australia,
Department of Parliamentary Services, viewed 25 October 2012,
<http://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/library/pubs/bn/sp/asylumfacts.pdf>.
UNHCR 2011, The 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 Protocol,
viewed 30 October 2012, <http://www.unhcr.org/4ec262df9.html>.
Introduce topic of unit: refugees and asylum seekers.
Divide class into small groups of 5-6. Give one pad of post-it notes to each group. Ask
students to write down everything that they know about refugees and/or asylum seekers on
the post-it notes (one fact per post-it note). Once students have finished brainstorming, stick
post-it notes on the whiteboard and, as a class, classify these into different categories.
Read to the class the following definitions for the words ‘refugee’ and ‘asylum seeker’.
A refugee is a person who: ‘owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for
reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or
political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and is unable to, or owing to
such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country…’ (UNHCR
2011).
An asylum seeker is someone who is seeking international protection but whose
claim for refugee status has not yet been determined (Phillips 2011, p. 2).
Help students to construct simplified ‘class definitions’ for these words. Record the definitions
on paper and display in a visible place within the classroom.
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2: Duties and rights
Resources:
Lipman, M & Sharp, A 1985, ‘Duties and rights’, in Ethical inquiry: instructional
manual to accompany Lisa, 2nd edn, University Press of America, Lanham, MD.
Discussion Plan: ‘Duties and rights' (adapted from Lipman & Sharp 1985).
Did you ask to be born? Do you know anyone who did?
Did you ask to be born in Australia? Do you know anyone who did?
Do your parents owe you food and clothing and shelter?
Do you have a right to share in your family’s meals?
Would your parents have the right to eat all the food and leave none for you?
Do children have a right to be protected against kidnapping?
Do children have a right to be protected against starvation? Malnourishment?
Do children have a right to an education?
Do you think children have a right to privacy?
Do you think children have a right to form their own opinions about their favourite sporting
teams? About their favourite books? About their favourite countries?
Do you think children have a right to their own friends?
Do you think that all children have the rights that you have?
Do you think that all children should have the rights that you have?
Are there any situations where people shouldn’t have these rights?
Do you think asylum seekers and refugees have a right to come to Australia?
Do you think they should have this right?
Do you think that the Australian government should have the right to determine who can and
who can’t come to Australia?
ETHIC model:
This lesson develops the ‘Thinking’ element of the ETHIC model (Knight & Collins, cited in
Knight 2011). Students will be encouraged to use logical reasoning to determine whether
rights do (or should) exist in a variety of circumstances.
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3: Why do people become refugees?
Resources:
Printed case studies of refugees (see Appendix 2)
UNHCR 2011, The 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 Protocol,
viewed 30 October 2012, <http://www.unhcr.org/4ec262df9.html>.
As an introduction to this lesson, ask students to brainstorm reasons why people move
houses in Australia. Record responses on the board in two columns: voluntary and
involuntary reasons. Use this table to explain the difference between a refugee and a migrant
(migrants voluntarily move to a new country, while refugees are forced to move for various
reasons). The UNHCR provides the following explanation.
Refugees are forced to flee because of a threat of persecution and because they lack
the protection of their own country. A migrant, in comparison, may leave his or her
country for many reasons that are not related to persecution, such as for the
purposes of employment, family reunification or study. A migrant continues to enjoy
the protection of his or her own government, even when abroad (UNHCR 2011).
Ask students to brainstorm reasons why a refugee/asylum seeker might leave his/her home
country.
Divide class into small groups and hand each group one ‘case study’ of a refugee (see
Appendix 2). Direct students to read their case study with a focus on the following questions:
1. Where did this person come from?
2. Why did they move?
3. What steps were involved in moving to Australia?
Get groups to summarise their case study to the class (using the three questions listed
above as a guide). Based on students’ sharing, collate a list of reasons why people become
refugees. Ensure that the following reasons are included:
-
War (including civil war),
-
Ethnic, tribal and religious violence
-
Political persecution
-
Famine and poverty (usually in combination with one or more of the above reasons)
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ETHIC model:
This lesson incorporates a number of elements of the ETHIC model (Knight & Collins, cited
in Knight 2011). Students should begin to recognise suffering as a basis for ethical
judgement and take into account the circumstances leading to people seeking asylum in
Australia.
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4: What is the extent and seriousness of the problem globally?
Resources: Computers
Provide students with the following scenario:
Imagine that you are the new government Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. One of
your main roles is to create government policies for refugees and asylum seekers. This is a
very important and often controversial area of policy because the decisions that you make
impact a wide range of people both here and overseas. New government Ministers have to
take part in lots and lots of radio and television interviews so it’s important that you know
your stuff! It’s time to do some research! Using the internet, find answers to the following
questions about refugees and asylum seekers.
1. How many refugees are there currently around the world?
2. How many people are currently seeking refugee status (i.e. how many asylum
seekers are there around the world)?
3. How many refugees does Australia accept each year?
4. From which countries do most refugees come?
5. What are the top 5 refugee hosting countries?
6. What are the main modes of transport that refugees/asylum seekers use to get to
Australia?
7. What percentage of refugees/asylum seekers arrive by boat?
8. According to the 1948 Universal declaration of human rights, who has the right to
seek asylum?
9. List 5 rights of refugees that are given in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status
of Refugees. Record these rights in your own words.
10. What is the current Australian policy for dealing with refugees and asylum seekers
who arrive by boat?
Varying levels of scaffolding will need to be given to students depending on their previous
experience of conducting independent research. The following websites may be useful:
-
http://www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/face_facts/chap3.html#Heading
1217
-
http://www.racismnoway.com.au/teaching-resources/factsheets/24.html
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ETHIC model:
This lesson develops the ‘Information’ element of the ETHIC model (Knight & Collins, cited in
Knight 2011). Students will develop an understanding some of the important facts regarding
refugees and asylum seekers. Whilst this lesson does not engage students in ethical
discussion or decision-making, it lays a foundation upon which informed discussions can
take place later in the unit.
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5: Should we help?
Resources:
Bazley, N 2012, Asylum plan, video, Behind the News, 21 August, viewed 30 October 2012,
<http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3571587.htm>.
Lipman, M & Sharp, A 1985, Ethical inquiry: instructional manual to accompany Lisa, 2nd
edn, University Press of America, Lanham, MD.
Watch Behind the News, ‘Asylum plan’ video as a stimulus for ethical discussion.
Discussion Plan: ‘Should we help?’ (adapted from Lipman & Sharp 1985).
When you get hurt, do you feel pain?
When your friend gets hurt, do you feel your friend’s pain?
If your answer to the last question is that you can’t feel your friend’s pain, does this mean
you think your friend isn’t in pain?
If a person who is a stranger to you is injured, is it likely that that person is in pain?
Is the stranger’s pain more like your friend’s pain is to your friend or more like your pain is to
you?
If you accidentally knocked a stranger over and injured them, should you help them?
If the stranger got angry and yelled at you, should you still help them?
If a person wants to come to Australia to get away from a dangerous situation in their home
country, do we have a responsibility to help them?
If someone has come to Australia without valid documentation (e.g. passport, visa etc.), do
they still deserve to be helped?
Are there times when people have no choice but to leave their home country? If so, when?
Do you think Australia’s system of dealing with asylum seekers is fair? Why/why not?
ETHIC model:
This lesson incorporates several elements of the ETHIC model. In particular, students will be
encouraged to take circumstances into account when making ethical decisions and should
begin to consider the ‘common capacities for harm’ by ‘imagining what it would be like to be
in another’s place’ (Knight 2011).
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6: What would it be like to live in a refugee camp?
Resources:
Computers
Photos (printed or displayed on IWB) from refugee camps (see Appendix 3)
CBC n.d., Anatomy of a refugee camp, viewed 1 November 2012,
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/refugeecamp/refugees/refugee.html>.
UNHCR 1991, Refugee children around the world, Longman Cheshire, Melbourne, Victoria.
Explain to students that a refugee camp is a shelter for people who have been displaced
from their home and are, a) seeking resettlement or, b) are waiting to return to their home
once it is safe to do so.
Activity: ‘Living in a refugee camp’ (adapted from UNHCR 1991).
Ask students to close their eyes and imagine their home.
1. Take out all of the furniture, except a few old blankets, a single chair and a cooking
pot.
2. Throw away all your favourite possessions: your toys, the TV, your computer.
3. Take away all the clothing, except for your oldest pair of shorts and one tee-shirt.
4. Empty all the food from the cupboards and refrigerator. Wait in a queue for a daily
ration of rice, flour, skimmed milk and tea. Go to bed feeling hungry.
5. Dismantle the bathroom, turn off the water and disconnect the electrical wiring. The
nearest tap is used by two hundred people and is half a kilometre away. You have an
old metal bucket to carry water.
6. Pull down the house and use what you can find – sticks, plastic sheeting, mud and
stones – to build a makeshift shelter.
7. Take away the nearest clinic or hospital. Replace it with one tent and a doctor.
Encourage students to discuss their feelings. Explain to students that some refugees stay
living in camps like this for many years as they wait to be resettled to a safe place like
Australia, or return to their homes once it is safe to do so.
Divide class into pairs. Give students time to explore the ‘Anatomy of a refugee camp’
website. Ask students to take notes in response to the following questions:
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-
What (in your opinion) would be the three most difficult things about living in a
refugee camp?
-
What surprised you about the refugee camp?
Show students a series of photos from refugee camps to stimulate discussion (see Appendix
3). Use the following questions to guide a discussion about the experience of living in a
refugee camp:
-
What does your house look like? How does it compare to the ‘houses’ or tents that
people live in in refugee camps?
-
What is your favourite food? What types of food are served in refugee camps? Does
this food sound appetizing?
-
If you had to flee your home, and you could only take what you could carry, what
would you bring? (Remember that many refugees have to walk incredible distances
to reach safety).
ETHIC model:
This lesson develops the ‘Equal consideration’ element of the ETHIC model (Knight &
Collins, cited in Knight 2011). Students will be encouraged to imagine what it would be like to
live in a refugee camp and thus recognise ‘common capacities for harm’ (Knight 2011).
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7: Can ends justify means?
Resources:
Lipman, M & Sharp, A 1985, Ethical inquiry: instructional manual to accompany Lisa, 2nd
edn, University Press of America, Lanham, MD.
Discussion Plan: ‘Can ends justify means?’ (adapted from Lipman & Sharp 1985).
Is it ever true that “the end justifies the means”? When people remark that “the end justifies
the means”, they may be saying that, in certain cases, their goal or objective (end) may seem
so overwhelmingly important to them as to warrant using any means in order to obtain it. On
this interpretation, any behaviour, no matter how odious or unscrupulous, can be justified if it
is a means to the desired end. But another interpretation of the expression, “the end justifies
the means” is much less sinister; according to this interpretation, when we are asked for our
reason for using a given means, we simply cite the end or purpose we have in mind. Finally,
in discussing this matter, it should be kept in mind that, whenever someone remarks, “the
end justifies the means”, we should be prepared to ask: “Do you mean, regardless of other
consequences, or do you mean having taken other consequences into account?” The two
situations are very different.
Discuss the following remarks:
1. Getting rid of the roaches in the pantry is a top priority matter with me, so I’m putting roach
powder in all the food. That’ll get ‘em! The end justifies the means.
2. I want that One Direction CD so bad that I’ll save all my allowance money until I get it. The
end justifies the means.
3. The auto industry is the backbone of this country’s economy. We should be willing to put
up with the inconvenience of the carbon monoxide. The end justifies the means.
4. There’s nothing so evil as war. But the only way to put an end to war is by getting rid of our
enemies. That’s what we’ve got to do, fight a war to end war! The end justifies the means.
5. There are their spies in our country and our spies in their country. But we’re going to
uncover their spies, even if we have to set up a police state and spy on everyone’s private
activities in order to do it. The end justifies the means.
6. Freedom is a value so desirable that, if people don’t want to be free, we’ve simply got to
force them to be free. The end justifies the means.
7. Protection of Australia’s borders is so important that we should do anything to protect it,
even if this means turning away genuine refugees. The end justifies the means.
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8. Freedom from war, violence, persecution or poverty is vitally important. Asylum seekers
have every right to leave their families and pay money to travel on rickety boats in the
chance of finding freedom in Australia. The end justifies the means.
ETHIC model:
This lesson develops the ‘Thinking’ element of the ETHIC model (Knight & Collins, cited in
Knight 2011). Students will be encouraged to use logical reasoning to determine whether the
end justifies the means in a variety of scenarios.
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8: What role do the media play in shaping public opinion about
refugees and asylum seekers?
Resources:
Printed media reports about refugees/asylum seekers
UNHCR n.d., What’s the difference?, viewed 20 October 2012,
<http://www.unhcr.org.au/pdfs/140603LegoA2Posters.pdf>.
Show students the UNHCR Lego poster: ‘What’s the difference?’ (see Appendix 4). Ask
students if they have ever heard these words used to describe refugees and/or asylum
seekers. Emphasize to students the power of word choices.
Explain that information in the media can be biased: some voices may be amplified while
others may be silenced. Divide class into pairs or groups of three. Hand each pair/group a
printed media report about refugees/asylum seekers (select a range of recent positive and
negative media reports prior to conducting this lesson). Ask students to analyse the media
report that they have been given using the following questions as guidance:
-
Does this report encourage positive or negative attitudes to refugees/asylum
seekers?
-
Do you think this report is accurate and/or fair? (Does it present both sides of the
debate?)
-
What words have been used to describe refugees/asylum seekers in this report?
As a class, construct a list of different words used in media reports to describe
refugees/asylum seekers. Words might include:
-
Boat people, illegal aliens, unauthorised arrivals, queue jumpers, illegal immigrants,
genuine refugees, unauthorised immigrants, detainees, prisoners and/or terrorists.
Record the words on the board in two categories: positive words and negative words.
Facilitate a class discussion using the following questions as guidance:
-
How do these words make you feel?
-
Given what you’ve learnt about refugees and asylum seekers, do you think it is fair to
use these words to describe refugees and asylum seekers? Why/why not?
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ETHIC model:
This lesson develops the ‘Information’ element of the ETHIC model (Knight & Collins, cited in
Knight 2011). Students will consider information they have previously learnt about asylum
seekers and refugees to determine whether or not media portrayals of asylum seekers and
refugees are fair.
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9: What difficulties might refugees face when they arrive in
Australia?
Resources:
Holbrook, M 2011, Refugee kids, video, Behind the News, 21 May, viewed 30 October 2012,
<http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3230871.htm>.
The State of South Australia, Department of Education and Children’s Services 2007, Count
me in!: a resource to support ESL students with refugee experience in schools, viewed 3
October 2012, <http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/literacy/files/links/Count_me_in.pdf>.
Prior to conducting this lesson, learn how to ask the question ‘What difficulties might
refugees face when they arrive in Australia?’ in another, foreign language. Introduce the
lesson in this foreign language in order to stimulate student thought about the ‘language
challenge’ that non-English speaking refugees face.
Ask students, in pairs, to brainstorm with their partner the types of challenges that they would
face if they had to move to a new country.
Divide class in half. Give half of the class copies of the story of ‘Radhia’ and the other half
copies of the story of ‘Moses’ to read (these stories are available in the ‘Count me in!’
resource). After students have read these stories, ask them to identify the difficulties that
Radhia and Moses faced (respectively) upon arriving in Australia. Facilitate a whole-class
discussion about the difficulties that refugees and asylum seekers may face. Record
difficulties on paper and display this list in the classroom. Encourage students to make
connections with their own experiences. Use the following questions as prompts:
-
How easy or difficult would it be to start at a new school in Australia?
-
What difficulties might you face?
-
Who has experienced moving to a new school? How did you feel on your first day?
-
Who has experienced moving to a new house? How easy or difficult was it to get to
know your new neighbors? How much harder would it be if everyone around your
new house spoke in another language?
Encourage students to consider the role that they could play in making it easier for refugees
to settle into Australian life. Examples might include:
-
Taking an interest in and being accepting of new students
-
Encouraging others to accept new and ‘different’ classmates
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To conclude lesson, watch Behind the News clip, ‘Refugee Kids’.
ETHIC model:
This lesson develops the ‘Equal consideration’ element of the ETHIC model (Knight &
Collins, cited in Knight 2011). Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own
experiences of moving (to a new house or school) and imagine what it would be like for
refugees to move to a new country.
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10: What is our role?
Conduct a whole-class discussion to conclude the unit of work and to encourage students to
think about their role in the refugee/asylum seeker debate. Return to the guiding questions to
stimulate discussion:
- Why do people seek asylum in Australia?
- Does Australia have a responsibility to accept refugees?
- How can we apply what we have learned? What can we do to help refugees and asylum
seekers? Encourage students to see that they can:
-
Use the knowledge that they have gained to inform friends and family about the
difficulties that refugees and asylum seekers experience: to encourage understanding
and empathy
-
Be friendly and welcoming to newly-settled refugees in their local community
(encourage students to see how they might apply this attitude to welcoming any new
student in their school)
-
Contact their local MP to engage them in discussions about the role of Australia in
accepting refugees and helping newly-settled refugees
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References
Australian Human Rights Commission 2012, Face the facts (2012), viewed 30 October 2012,
<http://www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/face_facts/chap3.html>.
Bazley, N 2012, Asylum plan, video, Behind the News, 21 August, viewed 30 October 2012,
<http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3571587.htm>.
CBC n.d., Anatomy of a refugee camp, viewed 1 November 2012,
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/refugeecamp/refugees/refugee.html>.
Collins, C 2011, EDUC 2007: The classroom community of enquiry lecture notes, University
of South Australia, Adelaide, 29 August.
Holbrook, M 2011, Refugee kids, video, Behind the News, 21 May, viewed 30 October 2012,
<http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3230871.htm>.
Knight, S 2011, EDUC 2007: Dealing with ethical questions in S&E/History/Geography
lecture notes, University of South Australia, Adelaide, 22 August.
Lipman, M & Sharp, A 1985, Ethical inquiry: instructional manual to accompany Lisa, 2nd
edn, University Press of America, Lanham, MD.
Phillips, J 2011, Asylum seekers and refugees: what are the facts?, Parliament of Australia,
Department of Parliamentary Services, viewed 25 October 2012,
<http://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/library/pubs/bn/sp/asylumfacts.pdf>.
The State of South Australia, Department of Education and Children’s Services 2007, Count
me in!: a resource to support ESL students with refugee experience in schools, viewed 3
October 2012, <http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/literacy/files/links/Count_me_in.pdf>.
UNHCR 2011, The 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 Protocol,
viewed 30 October 2012, <http://www.unhcr.org/4ec262df9.html>.
UNHCR 1991, Refugee children around the world, Longman Cheshire, Melbourne, Victoria.
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UNHCR n.d., What’s the difference?, viewed 20 October 2012,
<http://www.unhcr.org.au/pdfs/140603LegoA2Posters.pdf>.
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Appendix 1
Observation/evaluation instrument for ethical discussions
Name of student:
Skills and attitude
Comments: Yes/No
Skills of Inquiry:
Shows sensitivity to context in discussion
Shows openness to new ideas
Skills of logical reasoning:
Displays consistency when developing a point of
view
Able to express ideas coherently
Skills of dialogue:
Able to paraphrase another’s ideas
Able to build upon another’s ideas
Discusses issues with objectivity
Able to listen attentively
Accepts correction by peers willingly
Attitude:
Shows respect for members of the community of
inquiry
Adapted from The Hutchins School Philosophical and Ethical Inquiry Program
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Appendix 2
Sourced from: http://www.amnesty.org.au/refugees/comments/24448
Sourced from: http://www.amnesty.org.au/refugees/comments/24530/
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Sourced from: http://www.amnesty.org.au/refugees/comments/24447
Sourced from:
http://www.worldvision.com.au/Libraries/School_Resources/The_refugee_journey.pdf
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Appendix 3
^ Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya.
Sourced from:
http://alws.s3.amazonaws.com/New%20ALWS%20Web%20Site/Discover%20More/Schools
/Awareness%20Week%202011%20%20Burundi%20and%20Sudan/Photos%20%26%20Questions/Refugees/Refugee%20Cam
p.pdf
^ A woman has her ration card checked at the Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya.
Sourced from: http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/3306.html
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^ Children push and shove in a scramble to get food at a refugee camp in Mardan, in
northwest Pakistan.
Sourced from: http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/photos/2009/05/022183.html
^ Local residents carry their belongings as they flee Mingora, the main town of
Pakistan's troubled Swat Valley.
Sourced from: http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/photos/2009/05/022183.html
^ Ifo Refugee Camp in Dadaab, Kenya.
Sourced from:
http://www.worldvision.com.au/Libraries/School_Resources/The_refugee_journey.pdf
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Appendix 4
Sourced from: http://www.unhcr.org/4a5466e92.html
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