Schools and teachers as brokers of belonging for refugee-background young people

Abstract

Schools play a crucial role in shaping resettled refugees’ sense of belonging and access to citizenship rights. Education is a pathway to social integration, civic participation, and meaningful employment. Teachers can be seen as ‘boundary workers’ who broker a sense of (un)welcome and (un)belonging, mediating the relationship between resettled refugees and the State, and building or disrupting trust. In this paper, we draw on findings from a participatory action research project conducted in southern New Zealand with refugee-background young people at the secondary-tertiary education border. We explore how 10 young people reflected on their secondary school experiences in relation to their sense of belonging and inclusion in school, and in New Zealand more broadly. We conclude by calling for recognition of the critical role teachers play in brokering belonging and ‘settlement’ for refugee-background young people both in and beyond school. We also call for resourcing and teacher professional development that reflects a commitment to supporting refugee-background young people’s pathways to better futures.