Educating migrant and refugee pupils

Migration is now a feature of an increasingly globalised world and a central issue for political and public debate. This chapter focuses on the education of young people who have migrated to Scotland from other countries. According to the United Nations, 15 percent of the world’s estimated 232 million migrants are children and young people. Family migration affects children’s education, their relationships and potentially their well-being. Educators need to be aware of how migration, as a major life event, can affect children’s ability to learn, to ensure provision is adequate and all young people achieve their potential. Access to education is a right for all children, stipulated in the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), and migrant children are entitled to education as soon as they arrive. The aim of this chapter is to provide a better understanding of the effects of migration on young people’s everyday experiences, with a focus on how schools can best support them.