Presentation for National Refugee Resettlement Forum
Abdirizak Abdi,
National Migrant and Refugee Education Co-ordinator

Refugee background students
Of the 750 annual quota, approximately 250 - 300 are school aged.
Major Ethnic Groups of Refugee Background Students
Afghan
Bhutanese
Chin
Colombian
Congolese
Eritrean
Ethiopian
Iraqi
Myanmarese/Burmese
Nepalese
Somali
Sudanese
134
103
45
145
51
25
100
72
253
38
70
39
• over 2,750 refugee background students in the compulsory school sector
• 1, 325 are receiving
ESOL funded support

Contexts
Growing
Diversity
Integrated Education Support Model
Support provision Outcomes
Government
Responsive policies and provision of resources •Religion
•Language
•Culture
Schools
Welcoming and responsive schools
Parents
Well informed parents & communities

Information Provision: Refugee and migrant families engaged in education
Goal
Refugee and migrant families to have access to education information in order to engage effectively in their children’s education
Objective
Families are provided with quality educational information in languages and methods that will maximise access to the information provided

Well informed and engaged parents
School based support
School refugee coordinators
Language and cultural brokers
Recognition and celebration of diversity
Provision of Information
Access to information in parent’s first language (see resource list)
Ministry of Education Migrant and
Refugee Education Co-ordinators
To support effective liaison between students, families and communities and schools.
Empowering parents to become effective partners in their children’s education

Information for families and communities
NCEA Workshop with refugee parents in Christchurch

Engaging with Refugee Groups
Ministry of Education

Engaging with Refugee Groups
High level outcomes and strategy
Tertiary Education Strategy – consultation process
Specific policy areas
Areas of policy work of particular relevance to
Refugees

Tertiary Education Strategy (TES)
The Government is required to issue a tertiary education strategy under section 159AA of the Education Act 1989. The TES must: set out the Government’s long-term strategic direction for tertiary education
(including economic, social, and environmental goals, and the development aspirations of Māori and other population groups) set out the Government’s current and medium-term priorities be consulted on - with both stakeholders in the tertiary education and the community.
TES 2014-2019: consulted on in 2013 and published in 2014

TES: Six Strategic Priorities
The strategy’s six priorities:
Priority 1: Delivering skills for industry
Priority 2: Getting at-risk young people into a career
Priority 3: Boosting achievement of Māori and Pasifika
Priority 4: Improving adult literacy and numeracy
Priority 5: Strengthening research-based institutions
Priority 6: Growing international linkages.
“These priorities identify particular aspects of the tertiary education system that the
Government expects to see focused improvement in over the term of this strategy.”

Engaging with Refugee Groups
Refugee Education Reference Group
(Government agencies and refugee stakeholders)
ESOL Provider group

Engaging with Refugee Groups
Key areas where input has been sought:
Policy settings
– ILN ESOL average hours (changed for 2014)
– Time limits for ILN ESOL and Refugee English Fund
(under consideration for 2015)
Allocation decisions
– Reflects needs of communities and settlement patterns
– ESOL stocktake