A new guide to help schools engage with students and parents from migrant and refugee backgrounds was launched last week.
The desktop guide was a two-year project developed by Foundation House, an organisation that helps survivors of torture or traumatic events, along with parent advisory groups and five Victorian schools, including Roxburgh College.
Launched during Refugee Week, Schools and Families in Partnership: A Desktop Guide to Engaging Families from Refugee Backgrounds in their Children’s Learning is a 30-page downloadable document that walks teachers through strategies to help strengthen their relationships with refugee students and their families. It contains advice on interpreter and translation services, parent teacher interviews, how students are disciplined in Australia, homework support and career planning.
Roxburgh College principal Fernando Ianni said the school had had a long relationship with Foundation House through its many Assyrian-Chaldean students.
He said about 33 per cent of students come from an Iraqi background.
“It’s about collaborating with parents and building trust based on unconditional respect,” he said. “It’s powerful to work with parents when you have an appreciation of their story and their dreams.”
Mr Ianni said the school had participated with Laverton P-12 College, Liddiard Road, Dandenong South and Pembroke primary schools in the guide’s development.
Parents from a variety of backgrounds were also involved in looking at ways to bridge the gap between non-English speaking parents and schools.
Some of the collaboration’s recommendations include translating school notices and helping parents complete enrolment forms.
It was also recommended that the return of school notices be monitored and followed up as necessary. Including details about unacceptable behaviour in information sessions for staff, students and parents was another recommendation. The guide can be found online at bit.ly/1L4sJMm
