A landmark report by Victoria University’s (VU) Institute for Community, Ethnicity and Policy Alternatives (ICEPA) offers a best practice model for the tertiary education and training sector to improve access for refugees.

Report co-author and ICEPA Director, Associate Professor Danny Ben-Moshe, said the report calls for a systematic approach to educational service provision to help refugee students overcome the major barriers they face when seeking access to TAFE and Higher Education.

The best practice model recommended by the report includes:

• fee relief (most refugees say they cannot participate in education without this),
• support with transport (particularly in rural and regional areas),
• waver of materials costs,
• the provision of role models and mentors (ideally other refugees who have now settled and can appreciate the experience of new arrivals) and,
• understanding of, and assistance with, the diverse child-care needs of refugees.

Ben-Moshe said: “Refugee student needs have to be addressed holistically rather than just their educational needs. If the students are to achieve their educational outcomes institutions have to take into account their socio-economic and cultural circumstance and provide general life education services beyond the usual remit of an education provider.

“Educational institutions need to change the way they think and take on board the broader needs of the refugees, such as housing and child care. They can do this by having a liaison officer that works with the refugees and external bodies such as service providers.

The report, entitled ‘Refugee Access and Participation in Tertiary Education and Training’, was based on a study of six Victorian TAFE and Higher Education providers. It noted that barriers for refugees include a lack of understanding of the culture of Australian educational institutions, language barriers, and a sense of exclusion from the student community.

The report made recommendations for institutional capacity building and educational flexibility, including:

• the implementation of workplace learning strategies,
• accelerated and intensive learning – particularly for highly skilled refugees who are seeking recognition of overseas qualifications,
• extended English language training – it is widely recognised that the 510 hours of English language training is insufficient to acquire English language skills to a level required in the workplace,
• the provision of ‘taster units’ in fields of study to assist refugees to understand the training system and vocational pathways, and
• the delivery of a familiarisation program that supports students in understanding how to negotiate and understand the training system.

Ben-Moshe said improved systems were needed to enable monitoring, tracking and evaluation of refugee students’ progress through the education system.

“This should include the identification of students as refugees when enrolling at tertiary institutions so that their progress can be identified and monitored.

Further recommendations made by the report were for institutions to engage a dedicated worker to coordinate and oversee the support strategies and systems required to help refugee participation.

“It is important for refugees to have a single point of contact, a person who they could come to know and to trust – this is the one factor that makes the biggest difference.

“A program of cross-cultural training should also be implemented for TAFE and Higher Education teachers and other staff such as librarians, to inform them of the needs of refugees and appropriate responses.”