Migrant Education Week Day 2: What are the obstacles for migrants to access and complete adult education programmes?
**This discussion is now closed. We'll be opening again tomorrow morning to discuss solutions the challenges highlighted today. Find tomorrow's discussion in the link below.**
The current migration crisis has emphasised the vital role of adult education in supporting the integration and skills development of migrants across the European Union.
In our three-day discussion, we’ll be talking about:
Challenges and obstacles (27 April)
- Solutions (28 April)
In this thread we’ll be talking about barriers. What have you found to be the biggest challenges for adult migrants accessing education, and are they different for newly arrived migrants and established migrant communities? We want to hear about what you think the most significant barriers are, from both a learner and an education provider perspective.
You can also follow live highlights of the discussion on Twitter and Facebook! Look out for updates via #epale2016.
Athugasemdir
volunteer support in language acquisition for new arrivals
Hello Marcelle,
As I explained in my post, refugees who just arrived in the Netherlands have no access to official language courses. That doesn't mean that there is no demand for language learning among refugees. On the contrary, refugees are highly motivated to learn the language and get to know Duch society. And hundreds of volunteers all over the country are willing to help the refugees to learn the language and are already offering Dutch language courses to these refugees in public libraries and refugee centres. Taalkit DUTCH (‘Toolkit Dutch’) is a recent initiative that can help those volunteers (and refugees!).
The Taalkit DUTCH is developed to support volunteers with no background in adult learning or language acquisition and structures the approach to language learning via volunteers. It comes with a comprehensive manual and training.
The DUTCH language kit has an offline and an online section: The offline part takes place at the refugee shelter. The refugees receive worksheets (on paper) to learn Dutch. The online section starts with the mobile phone of the refugee. Through a free app, the learner gains knowledge about specific (and practical) Dutch words. This knowledge helps with filling in papers and recognizing (and understanding) announcements.
The real online learning takes place at the public libraries. The refugee will get a login code for 4 learning pathways in Oefenen.nl (a national portal, specifically developed for lower educated (young) adults who want to improve their basic skills regarding language). The pathways contain exercises, songs, videos and games. After this, learners can carry on learning anytime and everywhere.
There is a manual for volunteers and facilitators that explains the methodology and application of the Taalkit DUTCH. It includes a roadmap on how to work with the kit. It also gives an overview of current learningmaterials like picture dictionaries, apps and other material. The manual is complemented by a training for volunteers and other facilitators, for instance by webinars.
The Taalkit DUTCH is a social initiative of CINOP and the Expertise Centre ETV.nl.
More information on the page of the Dutch NSS,
/en/resource-centre/content/dutch-language-learning-toolkit-volunteers-and-refugees
thanks-useful resources!
Hi Ina, thanks for explaining about the toolkit. It is an important resource, and a very strategic tool for empowering those who are volunteers and the migrants themselves in sef learning. Great idea!
NALA ESOL Conference - Migration Trends
NSS Ireland are here at the Nala English for Speakers of Other Languages Conference. The Theme is migration trends and implications for practice and accreditation.
We are asking attendees about their biggest challanges, successes and examples of best practice for adult migrants accessing education. We will be putting up some of their answers and thoughts througout the day.
Greetings to all at the
Greetings to all at the conference. Looking forward to hearing from participants.
Fergus Dolan of NALA and keynote speaker Phillida Schellekens have contributed a very interesting blog in which they identify the approach to languageg assessment as a barrier to migrants' progression within the Irish education system.
Thanks Aimee. We look forward
Thanks Aimee. We look forward to hearing from you throughtout the day. Thanks again to the Irish NSS for attending this event.
Best,
Aaron
News from Utrecht (Netherlands) on migrants and adult learning
Dear all, in the Netherlands we celebrate Kindsday today and the day started with headline news on migrants and adult learning (http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/primeur-utrecht-gaat-vluchteling-al…)
As I mentioned yesterday (/en/discussions/migrant-education-week-day-1-whats-your-experience-delivering-migrant-education), one issue is that official learning opportunities are only offered to migrants once the receiving an official status as refugee. Until that procedure is finalised, migrants are housed in different cities, changing often of location and only receive language learning opportunities from volunteers.
This is regarded as an important obstacle for (future) integration in Dutch society. The City of Utrecht will change this: once a migrant is housed in teh city, he and she will remain there, also when the official procedure is succesfully completed. Meanwhil the Folkuniversity and the University of Utrecht will provide language courses and courses in entrepreneurship. These courses are helpful for mirgant integrating in Dutch society, but are also helpful for returning migrants.
The project will be monitored by the University of Oxford and for the project a European subsidy is applied for.
Advice working group Dutch Ministry of social affairs
Dear all,
This is Marieke Hanekamp from NSS EPALE Nederland. It is really interesting to read the comments of todays discussion. I'm very curious to the results of this project Simon, it sounds very promising. Did you (and other Dutch EPALE users) also saw the headlines about the idea of the working group 'work and integration refugees' from the ministry of social affairs in newspaper NRC yesterday? See http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2016/04/26/advies-plaats-vluchtelingen-waar-we…. It is about placing migrants who are about to get a status in the city/region where fitting jobs are available. To be able to do this, it is very important to start very early with 'matching': what kind of workexperience do they have, what diploma's etcetera. I think there is a lot to win on this barrier!
Language barriers
Good morning!
My name is Juris Osis and I am senior researcher at the Global Development Institute based in Latvia. I completely agree with Aaron that language barriers are somewhat obvious, and language problem was slightly discussed also yesterday. However, question of language knowledge seems to be systematic and structural problem that needs to be adressed at the national level. Recent study on provision of adult education in Latvia showed that AE is being provided by general educational institutions, municipal educational boards, private educational centres and NGOs. Law on Education states that any type of education at the state and municipal educational institutions should be provided in national language (with few exceptions). So there are just private centers and NGOs left who are allowed to provide adult education in other languages. It takes us to the question of finances as private centers are usual business institutions who will charge fee for education programs, and NGOs are dependent on grants. And the fact that some groups of population have an opportunity to engage in AE free of charge while other have to pay raises questions of justice and equality. It seems, that currently newly arrived migrants due to the refugee crisis are in better position than migrants who have lived here for year or more as the Cabinet developed Action Plan for Movement and Admission in Latvia of Persons who Need International Protection that provides some state funded programs for refugees, including language training.
Hi, this is Paola. I work in
Hi, this is Paola. I work in Morocco for the Italian NGO CEFA. In recent years Morocco has become a settlement country for many migrants from Sub-saharian countries. At higher level, the learning langiuage here is French, so problems are experienced only by those migrants coming from English-speaking countries, which are not many. However at more basic level, education is provided in Arabic, whici is a major obstacle for everybody not only in education, but also in adminsitration issues.
Thanks for your comment Paola
Hi Paola,
You highlight a very difficult issue. How do organisations such as yours overcome such a significant obstacle? Given that Arabic is the major language for education in Morocco, does this leave a significant number of migrants from Sub-Saharan countries without access to education (which then leads to other obstacles in terms of accessing other services, employment, etc.?
A sense of belonging
Hi Stephanie, what you are saying is a very important point. What are your experiences in providing this opportunity for 'gluing'? Are there any specific challenges that some migrants face, perhaps from certain backgrounds or experiences, or perhaps that you tea members find difficult? And are these practices taken by mainstream services or perhaps acknowldeged and supported?
belonging and welcome, non-verbally!
Thanks, Marcelle! Our experience to date consists of weekly meetings over seven years giving rise to a great many other intitiatives besides, many of which are now increasingly member-led. We started out with five or six people around a table and now routinely attract 40-60 people every week from 20+ nationalities and all walks of life. Usually 5-10 are newcomers. People usually return, bringing classmates, friends, relatives, housemates, visitors etc with them.
While the lack of English is undeniably a barrier, it's usually possible within the mix to find some others with languages in common and I suppose the main point I want to make here is that our ability to convey a sense of welcome and of belonging, regardless of backgrounds, is the ethos of the club, built upon respect, equity and solidarity - which is the glue!
Every week, fluid and informal conversations abound but we also also provide board games, some kind of creative activity, and the opportunity to just sit quietly on the sofa with a cup of something, enjoy the atmosphere and still feel that you're part of it.
In terms of challenges to be faced in a new place, those who arrive seeking asylum probably find it most difficult to adjust. However, individuals trafficked into the country, who are brought to us from time to time, are often completely dislocated and may benefit most from the social network that BFC provides.
belonging and welcome, non-verbally
Hi Stephanie,
I'm Andrew McCoshan, the coordinator on the quality topic on EPALE. Great to hear about the glue! I just wonder if you have experience of excellent work like yours being incorporated into quality standards. Such standards often focus on the easily recognised/measured things and can miss the most important things in human relationships if we're not careful!
Andrew
Time and Resources
Together with language, I would also add the following obstacles
a) Time: Should it be a priority?
Time because one needs time to acquire/gain new skills wheter of a linguistic nature or otherwise. Do migrants, with all the priorties in their life such as saftey and financial security have the time to engage in adult learning courses especially those countries that do not offer them online?
How can we expect our adult educators to fully enagage with migrants if migrants do not have the ample time to engage/complete courses? Will online courses/games/platforms facilitate such learning?
b) Resources: Adequate and age-appropriate
I have come across a few resources that have left an impression when it comes to Migrant Education and this includes the German platform http://www.deutsch-lernen.com/ They even offer a course specifically for Migrants that want to settle down in Germany. Super cool.
Unfortunatley, there is a total lack of age-appropriate resources with a high standard of quality for migrant adults. How can we expect adult educators to facilitate such learning without adequate resources?
Hello Mahira,it is funny that
Hello Mahira,
it is funny that you mention the German site because only the other day we had a discussion in our team about including an e-learning option in our language courses and of course deutsch-lernen.de and similar pages are nowadays in focus.
Given however the affinity of most of the migrants towards mobile phones, I´d prefer using an app which is more tactile than a webpage. In my eyes it is also necessary, if it comes to an integration into the whole teaching process, to have some sort of teacher/admin control to see who has finished her/his tasks etc. An integration into an existing e-learning platform is also a plus...
Without explicitly wanting to advertise, only as a thought, we´ve come to the idea that an app-driven, manageable platform like Rosetta Stone is - at least for the early steps - a good solution for our coming trainings and programmes. It isn´t unexpensive (specifically compared to free online webpages like the one you mentioned or the Romanian and Norwegian resources I saw yesterday), but gives us enough flexibility, also when it comes to certain key elements (like specific job-related vocabulary, which you can admin for the whole group!).
I think, for the target group of newly arrived refugees, something with an explicit, user-friendly APP as an interface is a good first solution.
Resources accessible via mobile
Dear Roberto, the creation of innovative resources are definitely one of the way forward when it comes to education and particularly migrant education. I look forward in downloading deutsch-lernen.de/app :)
Apps and online courses are indeed the way forward
I am Anikó Bernát from Hungary; working as a sociologist, and among other vulnerable groups I study the inclusion of migrants and the process of migration. Besides it, sometimes I contribute to NGOs work as a volunteer in migrant inclusion programmes. As for the discussion above, I would like to join to Mahira and Roberto on highlighting the relevance of the new technologies, especially the mobile apps, as mobiles are indeed in the hand of all migrants (and everyone else). Some free language learning apps have been already set up (e.g. duolingo), but new apps tailored to the specific needs of migrants is also the way forward. Nevertheless, such apps and similar online tools do not subsitute, but complement the more formal / traditional educational settings, especially for the absolute beginners. Moreover, online tools and mobile apps are definitely convinient tools for the majority of the target group, who are predominantly young people.
a sense of belonging
Good morning everyone!
My name is Stephanie Mitchell and I am co-founder of Belfast Friendship Club, a weekly opportunity for newcomers to the city (and locals) to meet one another in a safe and inclusive space and form meaningful connections with one another across all the barriers that usually divide us from one another.
I suggest that this sense of connection, of belonging, and of genuine welcome (often non-verbally!) acts as the glue that not only builds the social capital upon which all else rests - including all aspects of education - but also provides a crucible for growth and change, both individually and collectively.
There's a first thought!
More than just language learning
I think this is a very important point Stephanie. Migrants are likely to lack social capital and struggle to build it. Education programmes can play a key role in that, supporting the development of social networks as well as providing learning. This was one of the main conclusions of review of NRDC research we carried out which concluded that the ESOL classes we looked at were ‘more than just language learning.’ They also provided the type of safe and inclusive spaces that you mention and learners certainly formed meaningful connections with one another.
While I do see the importance
While I do see the importance of that point (see my example from yesterday regarding "meeting points" with social interactivity) the actual situation within the refugee shelters in Germany makes it most difficult to build a safe environment for this kind of social inclusion. More often than not, we have very different and often conflictuous groups of refugees, barely able to speak for themselves and still carrying the grudge against another group within the same location, whether for ethnic reasons or their faith or gender or whatever. Some of the social workers trying to pacify the situations report a "wall" of silence which makes it even harder to build such an aforementioned circle for social interactivity.
One solution might be the fastest possible resettlement into smaller communities and integration through neighbourhood community centers or similar, existing organizations and startups.
Unfortunately, these kind of community centers often lack of funding, are chronically underfinanced (even in, and possibly because of, the actual situation) and don´t have the manpower picking up at this - very important - point.
Learning as a two-way process
Projects that aim to be valuable for newcomers and locals are springing up elsewhere in Europe - you might be interested in this post about the Forward project, Stephanie. The Kitchen on the Run project also works to bring locals and newcomers together, They're touring Europe in a mobile kitchen container, bringing communities together over food (which is always the best way!)
Language barriers
I am the thematic expert for policies and research on EPALE and will be supporting the discussion as the community moderator today. I think a good place to start is probably also the most obvious. The issue of language is a significant barrier for both newly arrived refugees, those who have arrived in more recent times, as well as 2nd generation migrants. This I think is a particularly strong barrier for those countries requiring dual proficiency to gain access to further training/employment/other services - such as Malta, or Luxembourg where there are 3 official languages (French,German, Luxembourgish)!
Language barriers
Hello, I'm Inga Jagelaviciute. I work in adult education centre and also belong to EPALE team of Lithuania. On one hand, here in Lithuania we haven't faced the refugees comming in large numbers yet. Only a few families have recently came to live in Lithuania and have asked for refugee status, but our education system is preparing and step by step are getting ready to meet more people comming. On the other hand, there is a considerable number of people from various countries comming to live, work and study in Lithuania. I agree with Aaron, that the first challenge migrants face is a language barriers. There are different studying programmes for migrants, but if they don't know the Lithuanian or the English languague, it is the barrier for them to get basic, higher education, to study at university or in vocational training school. So the first programme for them to attend is the Lithuanian language courses, provided by different public, private schools or NGO's. After the getting of such course migrant can take national language exam and get a certificate of three different levels. The examination is not compulsory, but it is needed if you want to get a job in a public sector. In my opinion, language is only the one of numerous challenges of migrant education, but very important one.
language barriers
Hi Inga, thanks for your comments. I think it is good when there is an offical examination which provides recognition of a migrant's ability in the national language - which as you say provides access to further education/training and employment. I think that a problem can also arise when there is no officially recognised formal qualification for language proficiency in the official national language. This will then cause issues for migrants when trying to access further education and/or enter employment. However, the costs for completing such official language assessments can sometimes be very high. Is there a cost for the offical language examination in Lithunania?
National examination
The examination of the national language is regulated by the National examination centre and provided by the schools-centres, who have license to held the exam. Ther are the costs but they are not so high. It depends on the language level: 1 level - 11,4 EUR; 2 level - 15,2 EUR; 3 level (the highest knowledge of Lithuanian for foreigners) - 19 EUR. The costs for senior or disable people are lower.
Costs and low pay
Costs and low pay for migrant workers has also been highlighted as an issue in Ireland - Pablo Rojas Coppari is the Policy & Research officer of the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland and he wrote a post on the 5 key barriers for migrant in Ireland.
'One size fits all'
Our moderator for tomorrow's discussion on solutions for migrant education, Dr Linda Morrice said that language is one of the most significant barriers - and called for more tailored and informal approach in her blog post, 'Why non-formal language learning is more effective for migrants.'
One size doesn't fit all!
Hi there. I’m Julie Day and am project manager of English My Way which provides quality resources for teachers of beginner English migrants in the UK with no or little literacy.
I agree that formal learning doesn’t suit everyone, but for the type of learners English My Way is aimed at, a highly structured approach has worked well. The resources gradually introduce new language in a way that allows learners to retain and build on what they’ve learnt with recycling of previous language. However, all of this happens after a detailed diagnostic assessment so teachers really get to know the learners needs, interests and aspirations.
Obviously this structured approach is best done by highly qualified and experienced teacher, but in small community venues where the programme has been delivered, this hasn’t always been possible. The resources have detailed lesson plans with high quality audio, video, worksheets and online learner activities to accompany them. Crucially, they explain in a step by step way how to deliver in a learner centred way rather than being prescriptive and using only a fixed set of resources.
In addition, we’ve provided online professional development tailored to working with beginner learners. Click on http://www.englishmyway.co.uk/ to see our approach. There’ll be a blog posted tomorrow giving more information.
Challenges and obstacles that migrants face in education
Good morning.
My name is Marcelle Bugre and I will be moderating the discussion today, after a very informative discussion yesterday on the subject of education delivery. In the first part, this morning we will be discussing barriers to learning faced by migrants in accessing and continuing their education. In the afternoon we will then discuss barriers related to service provision.
Please feel free to participate and post your comments, whether you are a migrant, and/or a teacher and/or service provider or an expert - what in your experience, knowledge and research have you found to be the barriers and challenges that migrants face in accessing and continuing their education?
Introducing today's moderator
Our Moderator for today's discussion is Marcelle Bugre. Marcelle has an academic background in Social Policy and Conflict Resolution, and has worked in the migration field for the last 20 years with religious and non- profit organisations. She works in developing projects for the Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants, in the areas of integration, education, mentoring, social support and mental health.
Since 2014 Marcelle has worked together with migrant organisations in Malta to develop a third country national platform, with the purpose of developing migrant leadership in addressing organisational development, self-representation, education, citizenship rights, cultural dialogue and other integration issues in Malta.
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Volunteers and language learning
The article explains that refugees usually take a long time to settle into an environment where systematic learning is possible or until they have access to proper language courses. In this period of time volunteers can help by providing ad hoc language support. What is this concept? It is certainly NOT being a teacher of language, NOT copying teacher, NOT being responsible for language learning of refugees and NOT solving their problems. Dr Kremm says, refugees need something much simpler - an introduction to the national language and culture. Simple interaction where volunteers speak, listen, do some activities.... this is possible and it helps keep refugees motivated to learn until they have access to proper courses...