The following is an excerpt from an article co-authored by Associate Professor Damien Riggs, a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Social Planning, for The Conversation.

Refugee and migrant students entering Australian schools bring with them a range of complex experiences.

These may include experiences of trauma, violence or displacement. Some of these young people are entering a formal schooling environment for the first time. Often they are in a classroom where no-one else speaks their language or shares their cultural background.

Supportive and inclusive school settings are important in helping them settle in to Australia and feel at home. School is often one of the first places where refugee and migrant students and their families begin to form connections with their local communities.

The full article is available via this link.