Learn about refugees
Staff from the Hafnarfjörður School Office had an informative consultation meeting today with Dr Dubus and Nicole Mignon, an American expert on refugee issues and a university lecturer.
Staff from the Hafnarfjörður School Office held an informative consultation meeting today with Dr Dubus, Nicole Mignon, an American expert on refugee issues and a university lecturer. She is in the country on behalf of the Ministry of Welfare, advising the government and local council staff on the reception of refugees, and visited Hafnarfjörður today.
At the meeting with Nicole, the issues concerning refugees were discussed, particularly all matters relating to their attendance at nursery and primary schools. The main focus of her perspective was that refugees often have a difficult background, with trauma that needs to be worked through, and on top of that, it is a major challenge to adapt to the circumstances in a new, completely different country. It is difficult to be a refugee, not least for the adults. If the refugees are also parents, they have to face many challenges and often feel powerless, and it is usually the children who find it easier to adapt and learn a new language. Refugees often need support for much longer than we think. If that support is provided effectively, it will ultimately benefit society and be cheaper in the long run. It is a challenge for the school system to take in new pupils who are refugees and to recognise their special needs while supporting them to learn and participate in school life. Many refugee children, for various reasons, have not been to school for a long time, and some never have.
Similarly, Iceland, and its school system in particular, needs to establish a long-term policy for the reception of refugees in this century, as global warming increases and further population movements are on the horizon, perhaps on a large scale. It is therefore important that a comprehensive strategy is established and implemented purposefully over the coming years and decades. Such a strategy must clearly define what integration for new residents should entail and be supported by realistic measures. Furthermore, Icelandic society needs to define what kind of „multicultural society“ it wishes to be and how this will be reflected in the school system. Diversity is a valuable asset.
Nicole will also meet with staff from the social services and the reception department of Lækjarskóli.
The picture above is of Nicole and the one below is of the staff from the School Office who met her today.
