ElmCore Journal of Educational Psychology October, 2014 | Page 12

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coordinated policy approach between schools,
communities, and government in terms of helping
African young people in the transition process. In this
way, youth can explore new notions of citizenship and
come to new understandings in an increasingly
interconnected world.

within new social, cultural, and geographic spaces.
These are the global development issues that are
increasingly becoming part of American classrooms,
and understanding these issues is a first step in
considering policy options for the long-term
participation of refugee young people in new societies.

Conclusions
References
In reflecting on the challenges of education, the
students regularly put it that their schooling in United
Sates was always directed toward ‘coping up’
(catching up through extended effort). The ‘lost time’
refers to long periods spent away from school because
of war, refugee flight and asylum—an experience
variously shared by all of the students who
participated. In similarly thinking about the global
context, this research is important. Students have hope
for new lives in the US, but have clearly left hearts in
their homelands with family and friends back home. In
this regard, this highlights the diverse cultural, social
and linguistic backgrounds of students in the New
Jersey public secondary schools.
In terms of education in the United States, it highlights
the need to present a school structure that responds to
the diverse needs of young refugees. As the
background of conflict and upheaval forces the
transnational movements of youth, increasingly
diverse school settings become places where cultures
‘rub up’ against each other (Cassity & Gow, 2006).
Using a simple phrase, schools are places where
global meets local. Refugees from regions of conflict
now settle permanently in the Unites States under the
US state department humanitarian program. In this
way, refugees are connecting to a new place, making
links in this globalised world.
However, students also bring with them issues that can
create rifts. While moving to the United States may be
a new and safe location, the circumstances and
memories of conflict remain unchanged. These rifts
create challenges for education. To repeat one
student’s eloquent comment, “It is difficult to
concentrate in the class when your mind is not at
peace…you need peace in your heart before you can
do all these things.”
The United States is one of many resettlement
countries for humanitarian refugees. At the same time,
the plight of refugees in regions of conflict and their
access to basic social services, including education,
are increasingly addressed in academic, policy,
government and media circles. And this suggests that
the growing body of research and experience can
provide alternative policy options. In this study, the
Minimum Standards principles around community
were considered. Conflict and upheaval, then, add new
dimensions and complexities for education. It is not
only about peace and security, rather locating oneself
ElmCore® Journal of Educational Psychology

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Vol: 1 2014