Forced migration in education: challenges and opportunities

About this Research Topic

Background

Worldwide, people are fleeing war, climate change, political and economic crises, as well as persecution. Almost half of these refugees however have no access to education. While refugees are often included in research on immigrants in education, they hold a unique position which warrants specific attention. The educational policies and practices for refugees vary, reflecting differing approaches to integration, diversity and inclusiveness. What is clear, however, is that education plays a crucial role in meeting the needs and rights of those seeking refuge.

This issue aims to explore and understand educational responses to refugee education. Within educational research on immigration and inclusion, refugees' perspectives are often included, but different challenges exist than for other migrants. Therefore, this Research Topic intends to gain increased knowledge about refugee education from a variety of contexts and differing perspectives in order to provide nuanced understandings of the field. In particular, the topic aims to highlight the transformational opportunities that refugees can offer that are often missed (or silenced) due to existing educational systems based on modernist national structures. By gaining increased knowledge about the challenges of refugee education, but also opportunities, we hope to collectively challenge the field of education to better accommodate and facilitate educational experiences from both global and local perspectives.

Against this backdrop, this Research Topic seeks to address refugees in education from varying contexts, for instance education in refugee camps, in separate introductory classes, in preschool, primary education, secondary education, adult education and higher education. Different professional perspectives, such as languages, the arts, as well as other subjects, are of interest, as well as broader topics such as the policies and rights of refugees in education. Articles that present quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods research are welcomed, to show both breadth and depth in the topic. Comparative studies are of interest as well as articles that employ narrative research.

Keywords: Refugees, Education, involuntary displaced persons, immigrant education, refugee policy, refugee rights

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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