Education of migrant children and youth

March 23, 2011

Office of Education and CultureDep. of Human Development, Education and Culture

Executive Secretariat for Integral Development

Policy framework• Inter-American Program for the Promotion and Protection

of the Human Rights of Migrants – Adopted by the General Assembly in resolution AG/RES. 2141 (XXXV-O/05)

• Inter-American Program on Education for Democratic Values and Practices – Approved by the Fourth Meeting of Ministers of Education within the framework of CIDI (OEA/Ser. W/I.18/05) and ratified by the General Assembly in resolutions AG/RES 2164 (XXXVI-O/06), AG/RES. 2423 (XXXVIII-O/08), and AG/RES. 2481 (XXXIX-O/09)

• Objective:

To document, systematize, and promote lessons learned from successful policies, programs, and practices geared towards providing quality educational experiences to migrant children and youth.

• Expected impact:

To increase knowledge and capacity within Ministries of Education in order to develop, implement, and evaluate programs to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for migrant children and youth.

Beneficiaries:• Migrant children and youth in OAS member states, families of migrant

children and youth, policy makers, program coordinators, and educators working with migrant children and youth.

Territories:• All OAS member states

Funding:• Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

Duration:

• 3 years: 2009 - 2011

2009 2010 20111 1 12 1 10 11 124 5 6 7 8 98 9 10 11 2 32 3 4 5 6 77 8 9 10 11 122 3 4 5 6

• 9 countries reported that they had no policy or program geared towards migrant children and youth.

• 7 countries replied that while they had no policies, they did have activities that included the target populations of this study. Many of these measures are programs that also benefit another type of vulnerable population (Indigenous peoples or children that have dropped out of school or are at risk of doing so, persons with disabilities, etc.)

• 7 countries replied that they do have an education policy in place for migrant children and youth. However, some of these countries had no specific law, resolution, or institutions, or a specifically-allocated budget.

Phase 1: General results of the surveys performed for the mapping of Public Policies

Phase 1: Preliminary Conclusions• Specific needs: Language issues, cultural integration, the

uprooting from the country of origin, family separation and reunification, the interruption in the studies, the recognition of educational certificates.

• These problems are aggravated in the case of populations with low resources or in a situation of poverty and marginality.

• The lack of accurate and updated data on migrants suggests that the issue of education of migrant children and youth is not a high priority on the region’s public agenda.

• Achievements: International cooperation actions, exchange of methodologies and information on students, particularly among countries with a shared border such as Bolivia and Argentina, the United States and Mexico, and Colombia with Venezuela and Ecuador

• Problems: Ability to measure and assess the population of immigrant students in the different countries, so as to better define policies and programs.

Phase 1: Preliminary Conclusions (cont’d)

Phase 2: Rationale for the Case Studies• Despite the increase of migrants in countries of the

continent and with the expected increase in diversity of nationalities and cultures in the classrooms, this phenomenon has not been matched by a commensurate interest in public education policy regarding migrant students in education in most countries.

• The hypothesis is that there is a potential demand from migrant families to have programs and policies that focus on the education of their children.

• Second stage: Develop case studies in immigrant communities in 4 countries in the region.

Phase 2: Selected Countries

• Latin American immigrant students in the US• Immigrant students in Costa Rica• Immigrant students in Argentina• Immigrant students in Antigua and Barbuda

Phase 2: Field Work Schools Students Parents Teaches Min. of Education

Argentina 492 surveys, 19

interviews6 surveys and

interviews

2 focus groups, 4

interviews of principals, 3 interviews Interview EIB Method

Costa Rica 3

55 surveys, 1 focus group, 13

interviews5 surveys and

interviews 2 focus groups

Interview Office of Education and

Intercultural affairsAntigua & Barbuda 3

68 surveys, 22 interviews

6 surveys and interviews 2 focus groups

Interview Director of Education

Some images

Educadem Portal- Mapping

THANK YOUMore information at www.educadem.oas.orgcsleiman@oas.org

Music:-Quilapayun, El paso del ñandú [instrumental]-Grupo Cantares, El sueño que habrá de ser-Olomana, Ku’u Home O Kahalu’u