SUBMISSION TO THE VICTORIAN EDUCATION STATE CONSULTATION

Transcription

1 SUBMISSION TO THE VICTORIAN EDUCATION STATE CONSULTATION AUGUST 2015 The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is the national umbrella body for refugees, asylum seekers and the organisations and individuals who work with them, representing 200 organisations and 1,000 individual members. RCOA promotes the adoption of humane, lawful and constructive policies by governments and communities towards refugees, asylum seekers and humanitarian entrants both within Australia and internationally. RCOA consults regularly with its members, community leaders and people from refugee backgrounds, and this submission is informed by their views. RCOA welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Victorian Government s Education State consultation. In RCOA s consultations, education is consistently raised as one of the most important concerns for refugee communities in Australia. This submission summarises research that RCOA has conducted with former refugees and people seeking asylum. While there have been a number of positive steps by both State Government and community organisations to address these issues, many important concerns remain. In addition, there are a number of emerging issues that RCOA has concerns about, including issues for people seeking asylum. 1. Appropriate support for refugees and asylum seekers in schools 1.1. In our annual consultations with refugee communities, parents and young people always raise the concern that students are being placed in classes beyond their educational experience and without adequate support or adjustment in the curriculum. This issue is particularly significant for people who have experienced disrupted education due to conflict or displacement, as these students are not at the same level of learning as their classmates. The students therefore fall behind in school, with the resulting risk of disengagement from education and related social issues. As one community member from Perth explained in RCOA s annual consultations: The Australian education system puts you in a class based on your age. But because of war, we are late in education. When they try to catch up, they can t. The only option is to quit school and they end up on the street. There should be different classes for different levels While teachers are required to adjust the curriculum to meet the needs of their students, there is very limited support for teachers to do this, especially when the needs of some students are significantly higher than other students. While the EAL funding provided for schools is meant to address some of these issues, this funding is limited and there are issues relating to oversight and accountability (discussed below in section 2) Many refugee community members have called for an increase in tutoring and mentor programs to support young people through the educational system. While many community groups, including refugee community organisations, provide tutoring programs, these are often limited in scope and underfunded. More funding needs to be provided to assist young people from refugee backgrounds in accessing after-hours tutoring and homework support. Sydney office: Melbourne office: Suite 4A6, 410 Elizabeth Street Level 2, Flinders Lane Surry Hills NSW 2010 Australia Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia Phone: (02) Fax: (02) Phone: (03) admin@refugeecouncil.org.au melbourne@refugeecouncil.org.au Web: Incorporated in ACT ABN

2 1.4. RCOA has also heard from community members regarding the lack of support and capacity of SRSS caseworkers to meet the needs of asylum seekers attending secondary school. These needs include attending teacher-guardian interviews, signing permission forms, and communicating with the school. A number of asylum seekers involved with RCAN also noted that many SRSS caseworkers are unaware of the options available to asylum seekers to access education, leaving many young people to arrange their own education directly with schools. Recommendation 1 RCOA recommends that more support be provided to assist schools in working with refugees and asylum seekers. 2. Oversight and accountability for EAL funding 2.1. RCOA has significant concerns regarding the lack of oversight and accountability of the English as an Additional Language (EAL) funding which schools receive. RCOA understands that schools are able to use the funding as they see fit, with no requirements to use it in any particular way. As such, RCOA has heard from teachers, service providers and community groups that many schools are not using the funding to directly support young people who require it, but are using it instead to fund other services or activities. A common example is the use of EAL funding to fund smaller class sizes across the school, rather than to provide specialist support to EAL students EAL and other funding should be used directly towards supporting the students for whom it was intended, and RCOA calls for greater oversight and accountability regarding how this money is used. Examples of how the funding should be used include the funding of Multicultural Education Aides (discussed below), the creation of specialised EAL classrooms with EAL trained teachers, or having EAL teachers work with a group of students as part of the regular classroom. Recommendation 2 RCOA recommends that substantial oversight and accountability of the EAL funding be put in place to ensure that schools use their EAL funding to directly support students who have English has an additional language. 3. Awareness and education for teachers about the refugee experience and impacts on education 3.1. RCOA has heard from teachers, service providers and community groups that many schools are unaware of the specific barriers students from refugee backgrounds face in education. The refugee experience can have significant impacts on a young person s education, including disrupted education, trauma, anxiety and a range of issues associated with learning a new language and adjusting to a new country. However, many schools and teachers are either not informed or trained in these issues, and as such do not provide appropriate support for refugee students RCOA calls for more support to be provided in the professional development of teachers to gain relevant training in working with young people from refugee backgrounds, such as the training provided by the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture and Trauma. RCOA has heard of instances where teachers mistook trauma and anxiety from students as bad classroom behaviour instead of understanding the underlying causes of the behaviour. The research paper The Education Needs of Young Refugees in Victoria also emphasises the need for educators to be trained on how to work with young people from refugee backgrounds during their teacher training programs There is also a significant lack of understanding in schools about the issues that people seeking asylum are facing, including living without family support, lack of sufficient financial support, and the anxiety and trauma associated with their ongoing refugee applications. Many schools do not 1 Olliff Louise, Pathways and Pitfalls 2004 (Centre for Multicultural Youth, November 2004), 2 Education Needs of Young Refugees in Victoria (Victoria: Refugee Education Partnership Project, April 2007).

3 seem to be aware of the number of asylum seeker students attending their schools, and as such teachers are not equipped to provide appropriate support for these students Schools are often unaware or confused about the rights of, and support available to, people seeking asylum, especially in relation trights to participate in work experience and to undertake work-based programs such as the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), and the role played by SRSS caseworkers. Knowledge and support for the school would ensure that teachers and schools are able to appropriately support students who are seeking asylum. Recommendation 3 RCOA recommends that more training be provided to schools and teachers on the refugee experience and its impact on education, as well as about people seeking asylum. 4. Enrolment into secondary school for older young people 4.1. The policy of the Education Department allows young people to remain in schools until they turn 21, if they are enrolled in an accredited senior course such as VCE or VCAL. 3 This policy also applies to young people seeking asylum. However, RCOA has heard from refugee community members and service providers that many young people who are 18 years old are being told they are no longer eligible to attend secondary school, and that they need to complete their secondary education through a TAFE provider. This is especially an issue for people who are new to Australia and are enrolling into school for the first time in their lives at the ages of Such a practice seems arbitrary, with some schools accepting young people up until 21, while others say young people cannot enrol if they are 18 or older. This applies for young people seeking to do both the VCE and VCAL This issue has been particularly significant for people seeking asylum who are living in the community. Until recently, asylum seekers had to leave school when they turned 18, forcing them to end their education in the midst of the school term when they turned 18 years old. However, RCOA understands that asylum seekers are now able to study until the end of the school year. Nevertheless, asylum seekers are still being told that they must leave school at 18, despite policy from the Department of Education stating otherwise. Denying asylum seekesr access to secondary schooling effectively prevents people enrolling in education, as they do not have access to further education funding (discussed below) Many young people are keen to continue to attend high school past 18 years of age, as this provides them an opportunity to gain similar experiences and fit in with other young people. This can only happen if they are given the chance to access formal education, socialise with other people their age and experience what other Australians experience. By forcing young people out of school and suggesting they attend TAFE or an alternative school, there is a risk that people will be further isolated and disengage in education. Recommendation 4 RCOA recommends that the Victorian and Federal Government undertake arrangements to provide funding and support for asylum seekers and refugees to continue to attend all secondary schools over the age of Young people from refugee backgrounds being turned away from schools 5.1. RCOA has also heard of instances of young people from refugee backgrounds being turned away from certain high schools and directed to attend a different school in the region often one associated with having more people from refugee backgrounds. RCOA has heard from a number of service providers who have expressed concern with this practice, which is ongoing despite it being contrary to Department of Education policy. 3 Department of Education, School Policy and Advisory Guidelines,

4 5.2. RCOA has also heard concerns from service providers that the high importance placed on NAPLAN is encouraging schools to refuse to admit students from refugee backgrounds, with schools being hesitant to admit students who may lower their NAPLAN rating Parents, students and community services need to better understand the policies regarding access to certain schools and the ways they can seek to challenge such a school decision, such as by talking to the regional officers from the Department of Education. Recommendation 5 RCOA recommends the Department of Education clearly communicate its policy with schools regarding admittance of asylum seekers and refugees, and that information be provided to parents and community members regarding a student s rights to challenge the school s decision. 6. Additional support for families in education 6.1. The involvement of parents and guardians in schools plays a significant role in supporting new students and helping newly arrived communities understand the Victorian school system. 4 Research highlights that schools play a vital role in the settlement process, and thus communication and interaction between refugee families and schools are very important. Initiatives in schools that bring parents and schools together are needed in order to bridge the gap in cultural values between and school life that can occur in CLD families and ease any intergenerational conflict that may arise, improving the level of family connectedness. 5 Studies have shown that schools find it increasingly difficult to engage CLD parents and that there is confusion and frustration on both sides due to lack of communication. 6 More research on how to facilitate relationships between CLD parents in schools can also found in Opening the School Gate, research conducted by the Centre for Multicultural Youth in RCOA recommends that more initiatives be considered to support parents and guardians from refugee backgrounds engage with the school community, including having parents involved on the school council, setting up advisory groups and using Multicultural Education Aides to bridge the gap between schools and refugee communities. A good model for parent engagement has been developed by the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture and Trauma. Recommendation 6 RCOA recommends that the Victorian Government provide funding to support parents and community members engage better with school communities. 7. Multicultural Education Aides 7.1. RCOA believes there is a real need to better support Multicultural Education Aides (MEAs) in school settings. MEAs provide an invaluable service to schools, EAL students and school communities. MEAs assist with: effective communication between students and teachers in the classroom, supporting EAL learners in school activities by helping them to understand school expectations and goals, assisting teachers to understand the refugee experience and issues students may be facing, and assisting newly arrived families in their settlement into the new educational community RCOA recommends that the Victorian Government provide specific funding to help train and support MEAs so that they can better assist schools and gain a better understanding of the school 4 Kate O Sullivan, A Three Way Partnership 2006 (Victoria: Centre for Multicultural Youth, 2006), 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 Centre for Multicultural Youth, Opening the School Gate,

5 curriculum. 8 RCOA understands that support and training was budgeted for MEAs in previous years, but that this funding has now been eliminated, leaving many MEAs without support and additional professional development In addition, specific funding should be set aside to employ MEAs in schools with high numbers of EAL students. This funding should be in addition to the EAL funding and should only be used for the employment and development of MEAs. Recommendation 7 RCOA recommends that more support be provided for Multicultural Education Aides, including training and professional development and that specific funding for schools should be set aside to employ Multicultural Education Aides in schools with high levels of EAL students. 8. Financial assistance for asylum seekers in secondary education 8.1. RCOA has significant concerns regarding the lack of educational options for asylum seekers and refugees on temporary visas (such as Temporary Protection Visas). As reported in the Policy as Punishment report, the lack of employment rights and educational access on these temporary visas causes immense distress and has been described by some interviewees as equivalent to torture. 9 Although many attempt to structure their days, the lack of defined activities or tasks has been associated with mental health issues and increasing frustration. 10 Moreover, the lack of education will make any future residency and integration into Australian society even more difficult Most individuals seeking asylum who are living in the community receive only a basic living allowance paid at approximately 89% of equivalent income support rates for Australian permanent residents and citizens. This limited financial support, well below the poverty line, creates significant difficulties for those trying to cover the basic costs associated with attending school. These difficulties are particularly substantial for young unaccompanied asylum seekers living without the support of their families Students under 18 who are seeking asylum and who are awaiting processing in the community are provided with limited support by the Federal and Victorian Governments. The Federal Government provides funding for primary and secondary school through the Status Resolution Support Service. This allowance provides $450 to the school for uniforms (shirts, shorts, pants, skirts, dress and shoes), schoolbooks, stationery and school bags. However, the funds cannot be used for excursions or travel to school, and is often not enough for those in secondary school. Many young people miss school claiming they are sick, as they cannot afford to attend these activities Support was provided to asylum seekers through the Victorian Government s Education Maintenance Allowance. However, this program ceased at the end of The Victorian Government recently announced a new Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund for asylum seekers in primary and secondary school. The funding provides $125 for primary school students and $225 for secondary school students. Such an initiative is welcome and ensures that young people are able to participate in all aspects of their schooling. However, there may be a number of schools and caseworkers who are unaware of this funding Two young asylum seekers highlighted the issue of funding for school to RCOA at a recent community conference. They shared their experience of being denied funding for secondary education because they were over 18 years old, and the resultant financial difficulties in affording basic necessities for school: Schools provide a uniform, but they don t provide a raincoat or school shoes, forcing young people to buy these for themselves from the limited amount of money they 8 Ibid. 9 Lisa Hartley and Caroline Fleay, Policy as Punishment (Perth: Curtin University, n.d.), pdf. 10 Ibid.

6 receive. This money also needs to pay for their accommodation, bills and food. The money does not last until the end of the fortnight, forcing people to go without food. Some students spend $40 to $50 on public transport in order to attend a school that will accept them. Many young people walk minutes almost every day to the local library to do their homework as they don t have a computer or laptop at home They don t have enough government funding for asylum seekers. Some don t have work rights, and those who have work rights leave school in order to earn enough money to support themselves. These issues have directly or indirectly affected the life of all asylum seekers in high school. Very few numbers of those asylum seekers are left in high schools. I faced all these issues but still I am happy to continue with my education because it took me one and half years to be enrolled in school. Recommendation 8 RCOA recommends that the Victorian schools, with the support of the Victorian and Federal Governments, provide essential items for asylum seekers to attend school, including school uniforms, shoes, books, clothing, camps, excursions stationary and access to computers. 9. TAFE and private Registered Training Organisations 9.1. TAFE provides an important education and training pathway for people from refugee and humanitarian backgrounds that can lead to meaningful employment. Many TAFEs have developed specialist expertise and programs that benefit learners from non-english speaking backgrounds or who may experience other educational or employment disadvantage. This is reflected in statistics that show that 190,000 TAFE students in Australia were from a non-english speaking background. 11 Historically, the larger size and/or funding models of TAFEs have been one of their greatest strengths because they have enabled TAFEs to develop, partner and implement tailored and effective programs to smaller sub-groups within the Australian community Moreover, TAFE provides a learning environment that differs from what other smaller (private) training organisations can offer due to their size, resourcing and experience. For example, many refugee community members and service providers have spoken about the vital role of pastoral care in enabling the ongoing engagement of refugee and humanitarian entrants in education and training. Providing support to learners who may be dealing with complex settlement, family and educational issues requires time and resources, including skilled welfare workers who are able to work intensively one-on-one with students or in specialist group programs. In the current competitive VET training market, there is little recognition of what it costs to ensure disadvantaged learners including newly arrived refugee and humanitarian entrants are not excluded. For example, TAFEs have developed more effective models that link foundation skills, English language and vocational training and broader social supports (see Migrant Youth Access Program and YAMEC case studies below) This is reflected in concerns expressed to RCOA about the declining quality of support provided to refugee and humanitarian entrants in TAFEs. This is also supported in findings from a recent AEU survey of TAFE teachers, with 63.7% of respondents saying that TAFE institutes were shaving more and more hours off the delivery of courses and less time was being allocated for direct contact with students to cover the course content In the current competitive training market, there is little incentive or imperative for vocational education and training (VET) providers to consider and cater for the learning needs of disadvantaged students, such as ensuring there is appropriate pastoral care, language and technology support for those who need it. While many of the larger VET providers mostly TAFEs are able to offer more tailored courses due to economies of scale, they are doing so in an Noonan P and Astley R (2011). CEET Conference 2011: Funding VET for Social Inclusion, Competitive tendering and contestable funding in VET: approaches to supporting access and equity,

7 increasingly competitive environment where small private training organisations (RTOs) can offer courses with lower fees, albeit with minimal student support and poorer outcomes RCOA has significant concerns regarding the lack of regulation or monitoring of the quality of VET providers and RTOs. Examples of substandard training and recruitment practices that RCOA is aware of through our community consultations include: Courses that cost in excess of $2,000 and take six months to complete are being offered for $395 and are delivered in five days. Courses in children s services are being offered without practical components (i.e. work placements) until the end of the course, which is not conducive to reflective learning. Students are not being assisted to find work placements or are not appropriately supported in these placements, and end up paying fees for courses not completed. Employers are unwilling to take on these students because of the lack of support offered by the RTO, the fact that students being unprepared for the requirements, the burdens required by a work placement and the unacceptable risks associated with taking on an unprepared workplace student in the context of services for young children. Courses in aged care are being offered without providing students with training in how to use relevant industry equipment. Equipment was not available to students to access or to use, and training was given only in theory. Online learning practices without accountability are increasingly prevalent, with particular implications for refugee and humanitarian entrant learners with limited English or computer literacy (an example given by the Australian Education Union (AEU) is of a correspondence course in Diploma of Counselling being offered). 13 Courses that do not provide practical industry placements, such as internships or work experience, and thus do not provide linkages or support for people to find work RCOA is also aware of predatory advertising from the RTOs, which promise a job at the end of the course but neither deliver nor provide internships or other career pathways. Many are often targeting newly arrived people due to their perceived low level of understanding of the education system. One such example is an RTO in Bendigo which misled a number of Karen community members into signing up for a course in early childhood education. 14 Students were given either misleading or no information about the course, could not speak English and did not know what subjects they were studying. There have also been issues of people not being able to receive a refund when they realise the low quality of the course, and issues with getting a certificate of completion. 10. Eligibility requirement for the Victorian Training Guarantee RCOA has serious concerns regarding eligibility for the Victorian Training Guarantee. Students are only eligible to receive funding if they are up-skilling enrolling in a course that is a higher level than their current qualification, and can only receive subsidies for two courses of the same level in their lifetime, even if they do not complete the course This policy has profound impacts on people from refugee backgrounds. Many newly arrived people enrol in inappropriate courses without adequate pathway advice or career counselling, often under recommendation from their Job Services Australia (now jobactive) provider. In addition, as discussed above, there are a number of RTOs that mislead people into enrolling into courses, many of which do not provide adequate career support or job placement opportunities. Due to this, many newly arrived people from refugee backgrounds attend courses that are either of a low standard or do not suit their skills, experience or interest. RCOA has also heard from community members and service providers that people are being taken out of AMEP English classes to attend other TAFE courses, often under instructions from a Job Services Australia provider. Students are then entering TAFE without adequate English and are not able to complete the course, and thus drop out. Due to 13 AEU TAFE Teacher Survey (accessed 10 April 2012). 14 Andi Yu 2014, Refugees claim course provider tricked them, Bendigo Advertiser,

8 these factors, students who enrol or complete a certificate which may not be suitable for them are then ineligible to receive funding for other courses, even if the additional course would lead to employment One practical example of this issue can be seen in the following case study: Sah Too arrived in Australia after spending 10 years in a Thai refugee camp. He was enrolled in the AMEP program in at Swinburne TAFE. However, under advice from his JSA provider, he stopped attending his English classes and enrolled in a certificate III in warehousing operations. However, due to difficulties with the level of English and lack of support, he was not able to complete the course. He then re-enrolled in his English course and completed level III English. After completing his 510 hours of English his JSA provider told him to enrol in a Certificate IV in aged care. He completed the course but was not able to find employment in the industry. He then found work as a cleaner for the local council, however, he was not able to be employed because he did not have a Certificate III in OH&S. However, when he applied for this course he was told he was ineligible for subsidies because he already held a certificate IV. As he couldn t afford the $500 to complete the OH&S course he was not able to accept the job. Recommendation 8 RCOA recommends that the eligible requirements for the Victorian Training Guarantee be amended to allow people to access subsidies for lower level courses and for more than two courses at the same level. 11. Access to further education for people seeking asylum and refugees on temporary visas People seeking asylum have consistently expressed to RCOA their keen desire to improve their English and to undertake further education in order to contribute to Australia. However, asylum seekers on bridging visas are unable to access concession rates for TAFE, Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) for University, concession rates and the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), such as FEE-HELP and HECS-HELP. RCOA understands that this policy will also extend to refugees on Temporary Protection Visas (TPV) and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV) Without Government support, people seeking asylum in Australia are forced to pay international student rates to attend TAFE and University, with costs in the thousands of dollars. This effectively prevents them from furthering their education. Without being able to study, people are forced to work in lower skilled jobs and are unable to further develop their skills In addition, study support is vital in order for people to meet the requirements of the SHEV. A refugee living on a SHEV must work or study in a designated regional or rural area (yet to be determined in Victoria). If SHEV holders undertake study or work without accessing income support for three-and-a-half years, they will be able to apply for another type of temporary or permanent visa (such as a skilled or family visa but not a permanent Protection visa). Thus while study is an option to meet the requirements of the SHEV, without access to concession rates, CSP and HELP, this requirement is virtually impossible for the vast majority of refugees to meet UNHCR s most recent figures (issued 18 June 2015) show that more than 59.5 million people are now displaced worldwide. Of this number, 19.5 million are refugees. Approximately 49,500 people are forced to flee their homes each day. Distressingly, more than half the people now fleeing are under the age of 18 years old. As international crises continue to escalate, it is very likely that those on TPVs will remain in Australia for extended periods of time. Last time TPVs were introduced, more than 9,500 of the 11,000 people granted TPVs received a Permanent Protection Visa when their TPVs expired. As well as the unnecessary trauma caused by inconclusive status processes, denying refugees on temporary visas access to education support prevents people from increasing their skills and contributing to Australia s economy, effectively forcing people into lower-skilled and lower paid work. It is vital that those on TPVs and SHEV are given access to concession rates and loans for further study.

9 11.5. This issue was raised by a person seeking asylum in a presentation at the statewide conference. In her presentation, this person highlighted her previous work and qualifications as a nurse overseas, and yet she was unable to continue her studies in order to meet the requirements for nursing in Australia. As an asylum seeker on a BVE, she is unable to afford the full-fee costs of TAFE or university: I was working as a nurse in Italy. I have a qualification and registration from Italy but here it is not recognised. To be recognised in Australia I must do a bridging course as well as an English language test. I have been working for a long time as a nurse, and to continue I must pay for this education approximately $5,000. That is a lot of money when you have to live on Centrelink benefits I can afford to do a certificate in nursing either, as I have to pay full fees and don t get concession. Because I don t have a qualification I can t find work. If I was able to get my qualifications recognised I could be working instead of getting benefits This person has fortunately been able to get support through the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, which provides 300 places a year for asylum seekers to attend TAFE courses, funded by the Victorian Government. RCOA calls for a rapid and vast expansion of this program to enable more of the 10,24915 asylum seekers in Victoria to benefit. An expansion of the program to refugees on TPVs or SHEVs would benefit both individuals who greatly value a formal education and the Australian community as a whole In addition, RCOA recommends that people seeking asylum and refugees on temporary visas be granted concession rates for pre-accredited training, such as the Learn Local providers. Recommendation 9 RCOA recommends that the Victorian Government provide concession rates for asylum seekers and refugees on temporary visas to access TAFE courses and Pre-Accredited Training. Recommendation 10 RCOA recommends that the Federal Government provides asylum seekers and refugees on temporary visas access to Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) and the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). 12. Transition support and pathways counselling Research conducted by RCOA, including our report Finding the Right Time and Place, 16 emphasises the need to provide transition/bridging programs targeting young people from refugee backgrounds. Currently, only a minority of refugee and humanitarian entrant young people aged who access the AMEP or ESL programs exit with the English necessary for mainstream education, vocational training, entry to preparation English courses and/or semi-skilled employment. In light of the time in which we can realistically expect a person with a history of disrupted education to become sufficiently literate to cope with Australian education or training system, it is recommended that a targeted funding stream by introduced to support the systemic development of youth transition programs that bridge the gap between on-arrival English programs and mainstream education, training and employment. Such a funding stream would ensure that effective models, such as the NMIT Young Adult Migrant English Course, have an ongoing reliable source of funding, and new programs can be introduced in areas with high refugee settlement In addition, more funding needs to be set aside for pathways counsellors to provide support and advice for people navigating the education system. Many newly arrived people struggle to understand the Victorian education system and the pathways available to them Refugee community members have also expressed concern regarding teachers and schools actively discouraging students from continuing with senior secondary education. A number of 15 As at March 2015, see 16 Available at

10 people have expressed concern that students from refugee backgrounds are being pressured to leave school at Year 10 and seek education through TAFE or vocational training. This issue has been seen as racism by community members, many of whom are passionate to continue on to higher education. Recommendation 11 RCOA recommends that the Victorian Department of Education invest in initiatives that bridge on-arrival intensive English and mainstream education and training programs and target refugee and humanitarian entrants of post-compulsory school age. 13. Work experience placements and professional development training Many former refugees have expressed their concerns that there is a need to have work experience or evidence of practical professional training evidence in order to acquire any form of employment in Australia. Unfortunately, there is a distinct lack of government-funded work experience/placement and professional development training programs. To refugees and asylum seekers, this gap represents a hopeless situation where they are placed at a disadvantage and with no means of rectifying their circumstances. This state of affairs is replicated in other areas of professional training, as refugees and asylum seekers who are interested in doing apprenticeship and traineeship programs have been frustrated because of age barriers, a lack of available places and even unwillingness by on providers to take them because of their refugee background. Many young adult refugees and asylum seekers have been traumatised by these difficulties Even graduates from a refugee or asylum seeker background face difficulties in finding jobs because of their lack of practical experience or professional training. This prevents such graduates from contributing to the Australian economy. 14. Pastoral care, therapeutic programs and peer mentoring in schools and TAFE In both our annual consultations and research, schools and service providers have highlighted the vital role of pastoral care and pathway counselling in enabling the ongoing engagement of young people from refugee backgrounds in schools, AMEP and TAFE. Providing support to newly arrived young people who are dealing with complex settlement, family and educational issues requires time and resources, including skilled welfare workers who are able to work intensively one-on-one with students or specialist group programs. While there are examples of good practice, some of these have recently had to reduce the level of support they offer due to lack of resources and funding. Those consulted suggested a number of ways in which pastoral care can be made an integral part of any education or training program involving at risk young people. This included: Increasing capacity of TAFEs to provide pastoral care to at risk students; Enhancing partnerships between schools, TAFE and community organisations to enable greater outreach of support services in educational settings (see also recommendation 12); Funding sport, recreation, music and life skills programs within TAFE and adult education settings Increasing the allocation of student welfare funding for schools with high numbers of students from refugee backgrounds to enhance the capacity of in-school counselling supports In Cassity & Gow s (2006) research on newly arrived African young people in NSW schools, teachers, students and parents all acknowledged that the refugee journey can make settlement in Australia and adjustment to schooling difficult. The authors make a number of recommendations for addressing past traumatic experiences through therapeutic programs and peer mentoring groups both within and outside school settings: Firstly, these issues could be addressed by improving interaction between the communities and the schools, by utilising peer support and buddy systems and by linking the communities with refugee support services. By this we mean recognising that communal approaches toward working with young people are most effective

11 not only through ethnic community organisations, but also through peer mentoring groups and sustained opportunities for debriefing about traumatic experiences in the past. [ ]. Opportunities and peer mentoring need to link young people with others who have been in Australia for longer periods of time and who know how to access resources for support It is recommended that schools, TAFE and community agencies work together to ensure young people are able to participate in group programs with a therapeutic benefit, including using peer mentoring initiatives. Recommendation 12 RCOA recommends increased funding for pastoral care initiatives in all education and training environments catering to learners from refugee backgrounds. Recommendation 13 RCOA recommends that the Victorian Government invest in group and mentoring programs with therapeutic benefits targeting young people from refugee backgrounds. 15. Need to address racism and increase awareness about the refugee experience Racism and discrimination continues to be raised as an issue of significant concern to refugee communities in our community consultations. RCOA has heard of many disturbing reports of racism within schools, including from students, teachers and parents. Former refugees have discussed being verbally abused by classmates and teachers, as well as being treated unfairly because of their race. Teachers have verbally attacked students because of the colour of their skin or because of their cultural background. These abuses hinder people from attending education, significantly affecting a person s engagement in education and later employment. Many people have also expressed issues with the assumptions people make that equate limited English experience with low education or intelligence. RCOA recommends that the Victorian Government to develop a comprehensive strategy to address racism within schools RCOA also believes that more needs to be done to increase awareness about the refugee experience for both students and teachers. Many young people are unaware about who refugees are, why they have fled their homes, their experience in seeking protection and the contributions that refugees have made to Australia. This can be done within the existing school curriculum, and there are many resources available to teachers to use in the classroom. One such program that seeks to increase student s understanding about refugees is RCOA s Face-to-Face program, in which a speaker from a refugee background and a representative of RCOA give presentations to various school groups. 17 Recommendation 14 RCOA recommends that the Victorian Government invest programs aimed at addressing racism and discrimination for both students and teachers. 17 See