The Education of Asylum Seekers in Wales: Implications for LEAS and schools
01 December 2004
The numbers of refugees and asylum seekers dispersing across the UK has had significant implications for local education authorities and schools in terms of their policies, procedures and practice.
This book reports on the results of research conducted with three Welsh LEAs with considerable numbers of asylum-seeker and refugee children. Two comparative case studies from England and Scotland are also presented. Although Wales has received a smaller proportion of these groups in comparison with other parts of the UK, the implications are similar.
The research examines the kinds of educational provision made by LEAs and schools for asylum-seeker children and identifies implications arising from these requirements. One general finding across the five LEAs was that despite the demands on resources of providing for asylum-seeker children, LEAs and schools were very positive about receiving them and emphasised the many valuable contributions the children made to the whole school.
The report focuses on several important areas:
- the LEA experience
- multi-agency working
- the school experience
- special educational needs
- funding.
This book is important reading for local authority and school staff, together with educational support services.