industry & reform
Lost in translation
Some migrant parents have little or no engagement with their children ’ s school .
Online learning leads to disadvantage for migrant children .
By Emilie Lauer
Rising cases of Covid-19 and influenza have prompted schools to return to online learning , and experts worry it will further widen the learning gap for migrant children .
The past months have seen Australia being hit by both Covid-19 and influenza at the same time , with 224,546 Covid-19 active cases and 87,989 notifications of laboratory-confirmed influenza .
The ongoing viral diseases have worsened the teacher shortage crisis , and pushed schools to their limits , with some being forced to return to online learning .
According to Deakin University lecturer Tebeje Molla , online learning and the pandemic have already widened the gap between students from disadvantaged backgrounds and the rest , prompting some migrant kids to disengage from school .
Molla believes it is a situation that will worsen if schools do not prepare for such disruption by improving equitable access to education delivered online and at home .
“ Humanitarian migrant kids have little educational resources at home and support from school during the pandemic was not sufficient ; many complained that schools ignored their request for support ,” Molla told Education Review .
During the pandemic , Molla said , remote learning has been more challenging
for migrant parents as they had to face multiple barriers to help their children stay educated online .
Migrant parents struggled with digital learning devices and often lacked the skills to set them up for their children , with some reporting that they sought help from schools and had to wait days before getting the necessary technical support .
In addition to lacking digital skills , the language barrier became a concern as the messages from schools exponentially increased , causing stress and confusion .
Finances also added stress to migrant parents , Molla said , as they had to set aside money to provide learning tools for their kids , with an additional increase on utility and grocery bills .
“ Single parents had to work two jobs to make ends meet . That means they had little time to engage in their children ’ s learning ,” he said .
Parents ’ engagement in their children ’ s study differs considerably depending on the country .
“ Australia actively encourages parents to participate in their children ’ s education , but the same expectation may not apply to other cultures ,” Molla said .
“ As a result , some migrant parents have little or no engagement with their children ’ s school .”
Many migrant parents , especially those from African countries , have limited educational attainment , Molla said , and as such , they struggle to understand school expectations .
“ Parents may not necessarily grasp the learning tasks even when they know what their children are expected to do .
“ As a result , children would be left to their own devices . That is not always pedagogically productive ,” Molla said .
In addition to not being able to help their children , online learning and the complexity of the schoolwork undermined parents ’ confidence .
“ Many did not know what to do and were not aware their kids were struggling ,” he said .
“ One single mother working two jobs didn ’ t know her son was not attending the online class for over a month , and the school failed to alert her .”
According to Molla , it is “ our collective responsibility is to ensure that migrant kids are not educationally disadvantaged ”.
In 2020 , UNICEF counted 281 million international migrants globally , with 36 million being children .
“ Limited educational attainment results in lasting socio-economic issues , including unemployment , poverty , and increased contact with the justice system ,” Molla said .
“ Without proper education , migrant kids will grow up less prepared for the complex world of work and communal life .
“ Supporting them now is not only good for the kids but also for their parents , and society .”
To reduce the gap , Molla urges schools to take the appropriate actions to better support migrant children and their parents when returning to remote learning .
Schools and the government need to ensure that all students have access to digital remote learning devices as well as additional financial and language support during remote learning periods .
“ Schools also need to clearly inform parents about their roles and responsibilities , and their messages have to be formulated simply to be easy to understand .
“ When necessary , arranging interpreters can be a solution if the school has the means ,” Molla said . ■
10 | educationreview . com . au