COVID-19 presented with major challenges in education as schools were closed and interrupted practices in the classroom. RWS researchers set out to understand the challenges teachers faced during school closures when trying to stay in contact and support migrant and refugee learners. Teachers experienced many difficulties due to barriers learners faced with language and accessing virtual platforms. This made maintaining daily schedules for all and promoting social bonds between learners very challenging. Particular concerns emerged related to vulnerable migrant and refugee youth, as teachers felt inable to connect students with external support services that were also closed down during lockdown. This means that, while teaching and caring have been interrupted for many children, migrant and refugee learners are particularly vulnerable at times of COVID.* Read more on here.
*This description is based on the abstract of Primdahl, N.L., Borsch, A. S., Verelst, A., Jervelund, S.S., Derluyn, I., & Skovdal, M. (2020).It’s difficult to help when I am not sitting next to them’: How COVID-19 school closures interrupted teachers’ care for newly arrived migrant and refugee learners in Denmark. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, DOI: 10.1080/17450128.2020.1829228