5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

The number of forcibly displaced persons worldwide is increasing rapidly every year. The majority of these refugees are children and young adults (UNHCR, 2024). To gain access to advantageous status positions and pursue social upward mobility in the host society, inclusion in the various stages of the host country’s education systems is crucial: from primary and secondary education, to vocational education and training (VET), and higher education. However, providing adequate educational opportunities for refugees is challenging for policymakers in many host countries (Cerna, 2019). The aim of the session is to shed light on the educational integration of refugees within and between national contexts of reception. The session invites contributions that explore the following questions and related topics: What are the findings to date on the general participation of young refugees at different stages of the education systems as well as the transitions between them? To what extent do different resources and policies provide obstacles or opportunities in this regard? What are the educational and professional aspirations of young refugees and how do they develop? How do migration experience and contextual factors of both the country of origin and the host country shape their aspirations? How do young refugees progress in acquiring destination language proficiency and educational achievements? How do they differ compared to peers without a refugee experience? What produces inequalities in these achievements?

References:

Cerna, Lucie. (2019). Refugee education: Integration models and practices in OECD countries. OECD, Paris

UNHCR. (2024). Global Trends Report 2023. https://www.unhcr.org/global-trends-report-2023