The council’s Something to Smile About report found that young refugees often face barriers to education including confusion over financial support and discriminatory and inconsistent schools admissions policies.
The publication of the report marks the end of the Refugee Council’s Supporting and Mentoring in Learning and Education (Smile) initiative, a three-year mentoring and befriending project that has helped 78 children enter formal education and more than 3,000 young refugees get involved in educational activities.
Among its recommendations, the report calls on the Department for Education to develop statutory guidance on admissions procedures and classroom support for refugee and asylum-seeking young people as well as ensuring that anti-bullying strategies are in place for this group.
Donna Covey, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said that it was vital for the life chances of refugee children that their interests form a key part of educational guidance and policies.
She said: "Refugee children in the UK have both a legal and human right to education, so it is unacceptable that they are missing out due to poor practice and lack of guidance.
"We work with children every day who have suffered extreme trauma in their own countries, and for them, education plays a crucial role in overcoming those experiences and combating the isolation they often face on arrival in the UK."
The report also calls for schools to run more awareness-raising sessions to increase knowledge and understanding of refugees and asylum-seekers to tackle prejudice and for local authorities to provide advice and guidance on how to access education for young people and their parents or carers.
Maggie Atkinson, children’s commissioner for England, praised the type of support offered by the Smile project, adding that her office had seen first-hand how keen refugee children were to learn.
"My office spoke to young people at a reception and assessment centre and observed an education assessment being done. The young people had a keen desire to learn. We also observed an impressive way of bypassing the ‘language issue’ for new arrivals. This shows we should be doing all we can to fulfil our commitments and the hopes of young refugees."
Last year more than 7,000 children applied for asylum in the UK.
To view the report, please click here.
Source: Children & Young People Now
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