New Guide To Help Refugee Students And Families Succeed At School

Minister for Education, James Merlino, today launched a new guide to help Victoria’s 9000 children and young people from refugee backgrounds to get the most out of school.

Launched during Refugee Week, Schools and Families in Partnership: A Desktop Guide to Engaging Families from Refugee Backgrounds in their Children’s Learning, gives schools vital information about ways that families and schools can collaborate to meet the needs of students and their families from refugee backgrounds.

The guide includes advice on everything from vital interpreting and translation services, to homework support and career planning.

The guide focuses on engaging parents from diverse backgrounds in their child’s education through tailored parent/teacher interviews and orientation sessions, as well as ways to encourage parents to get involved in the classroom or school council.

Schools with strong family and school engagement practices worked with Foundation House for more than two years to develop the resource.

Minister Merlino congratulated the five participating schools and multicultural community groups at the forum today:

• Roxburgh College, with advisers from the Assyrian-Chaldean community;
• Laverton P – 12 College, with advisers from the Karen community;
• Liddiard Road Primary School, Traralgon, with advisers from the South Sudanese Dinka and Arabic speaking communities;
• Dandenong South Primary School, with advisers from the Afghani Dari speaking community; and
• Pembroke Primary School, with advisers from the Chin community.

To access the Schools and Families in Partnership: A Desktop Guide to Engaging Families from Refugee Backgrounds in their Children’s Learning, see: http://www.foundationhouse.org.au/schools-and-families-in-partnership-a-desktop-guide-to-engaging-families-from-refugee-backgrounds-in-their-childrens-learning/

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education, James Merlino

“Settling into school is not always easy, particularly for children and young people from refugee backgrounds.”

“I am delighted that schools have the tools they need to engage with families so refugee students have the best chance to succeed at school.”

“We know that kids do better when their parents are engaged in education, which is why it’s vital to support refugee parents to be part of their child’s experience at school.”