Sustainable learning for refugee children in South African primary schools: A theoretical approach
Abstract
Background: The advent of democracy in South Africa brought about many changes in the
education system. Policies and frameworks that guide the embracement of refugee children
were formulated and later implemented. However, there are ongoing challenges experienced
by this group and the incidents of poor access and quality of provision experienced by a larger
population of refugee children, calls for urgent redress.
Aim: This is a theoretical article that examines and analyses the education access, school
integration and participation of refugee children.
Setting: Focusing on refugee children in a primary school in South Africa.
Method: Empirical study articles and reviews carried out on the education and resettlement of
refugee children in their host countries between 2005 till date were randomly selected for
inclusion in our analysis. Our intention was to understand how the education for refugees is
generally conceptualised and the extent to which their lived experiences are captured.
Result: Using Gibson’s theory of affordances as a lens, this article analyses the relationship
between the new school environment and refugee children and evaluates the possibilities of
sustainable learning for all.
Conclusion: We argue for an expansive access, including social and academic support
interventions that are balanced in terms of promoting the individual child’s abilities and needs
for optimal development.
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- TD: 2021 Volume 17 [42]