Η Neslihan είναι πρόσφυγας από την Τουρκία που ήρθε στην Ολλανδία με τον άνδρα της και τα δύο παιδιά τους για μια καινούργια ζωή.
Τον Αύγουστο του 2018 άφησε πίσω την ζωή της στην Τουρκία και πήγε στην Ελλάδα. Εκεί έμεινε για 3 μήνες πριν φθάσει στην Ολλανδία. Έζησε με την οικογένειά της σ’ έναν ξενώνα στην περιοχή Amstelveen για αρκετά χρόνια. Έζησε με την οικογένεια της για 19 μήνες σε διάφορα κέντρα ασύλου της Ολλανδίας. Όπως λέει η ίδια: ”Ξέρω την Ολλανδία καλύτερα από τον μέσο Ολλανδό”.
Στην Τουρκία η Neslihan εργαζόταν ως δασκάλα χημείας, φυσικής και βιολογίας. Ήταν πρόθυμη να διδάξει ξανά, όταν ήρθε στην Ολλανδία. Ευτυχώς, το να βρει δουλειά δεν ήταν δύσκολο. Μέσα από το πρόγραμμα ”Statushouders voor de Klas project” έμαθε πώς λειτουργεί το εκπαιδευτικό σύστημα της Ολλανδίας, κάτι που την βοήθησε να κάνει κάπου πρακτική. Επίσης, εργάστηκε ως εθελόντρια σ’ ένα σχολείο. Εκεί ήταν τεχνική βοηθός δασκάλου στο λύκειο Apollo στο Άμστερνταμ. Στο ίδιο σχολείο μπόρεσε να εξελιχθεί και μετά από λίγο της επετράπη να δουλεύει 2 ημέρες την βδομάδα. Τον επόμενο χρόνο μπορούσε να διδάξει και δεν ήταν πια βοηθός.
Γιατί αποφασίσατε να γίνετε δασκάλα εκείνη την περίοδο;
«Διασκεδάζω διδάσκοντας, δεν το βλέπω σαν δουλειά, επειδή είναι ένα πάθος για μένα». Διδάσκει εδώ και 18 χρόνια και ακόμα και τώρα το διασκεδάζει. Μόλις τελείωσε τις σπουδές της, άρχισε να διδάσκει αμέσως. Επέλεξε να γίνει καθηγήτρια χημείας, φυσικής και βιολογίας, επειδή είχε τους υψηλότερους βαθμούς σ’ αυτά τα 3 μαθήματα και τα έβρισκε ενδιαφέροντα.
Γιατί αποφασίσατε να έρθετε στην Ολλανδία;
«Διαβάζαμε στο Ίντερνετ και στα νέα και ακούγαμε συχνά ότι στην Ολλανδία οι άνθρωποι είναι ελεύθεροι να μοιράζονται την γνώμη τους ή τις ιδέες τους. Δυστυχώς, αυτό δεν ισχύει στην Τουρκία, όπου δεν είσαι ελεύθερος και δεν μπορείς να πεις αυτό που θέλεις. Ακόμα και τα παιδιά πηγαίνουν συχνά στη φυλακή, επειδή λένε την άποψή τους». Εξαιτίας αυτού, ο αδερφός και η αδερφή της Neslihan ήρθαν επίσης στην Ολλανδία με τις οικογένειές τους. Η Neslihan βλέπει πλέον την οικογένειά της κάθε βδομάδα.
Ποιες δυσκολίες αντιμετωπίσατε, όταν ήρθατε στην Ολλανδία;
Η Neslihan είναι πολιτικός πρόσφυγας και θεωρείται τρομοκράτης στην χώρα της λόγω των απόψεων της. Με όλη την οικογένεια της έφυγε από την Τουρκία με βάρκα. Το ταξίδι προς την Ολλανδία δεν ήταν εύκολο. Έπρεπε να δώσει πολλά χρήματα και να διαπραγματευθεί με εμπόρους, κάτι που ήταν αρκετά επικίνδυνο.
Επίσης, η Neslihan ήθελε να μάθει Ολλανδικά, κάτι που ήταν ιδιαίτερα δύσκολο στην αρχή. Επειδή τότε δεν ήταν υποχρεωμένη να ενταχθεί, δεν μπορούσε να παρακολουθήσει δωρεάν μαθήματα της ολλανδικής, όσο βρισκόταν στο κέντρο ασύλου. Παρ’ όλα αυτά, έμαθε λίγα ολλανδικά από κάποιους φίλους και εθελοντές στο κέντρο ασύλου. Γι’ αυτό, είναι πολύ ευγνώμων. Η Neslihan ήθελε να ενσωματωθεί και να αφομοιωθεί, οπότε η κατανόηση της γλώσσας ήταν κάτι βασικό γι’ αυτή. Μετά από πολλή προσπάθεια, μπόρεσε να δανειστεί χρήματα και να παρακολουθήσει μαθήματα.
Κάποιες φορές ακόμα έχει πρόβλημα με την ολλανδική γλώσσα, ειδικά το er με τις διαφορετικές προθέσεις το βρίσκει δύσκολο. Επιπλέον, ακόμα δεν καταλαβαίνει κάποιες εκφράσεις στα ολλανδικά, αλλά πιστεύει ότι στο τέλος θα τα καταφέρει.
Ποιες είναι οι διαφορές ανάμεσα στο τουρκικό και στο ολλανδικό εκπαιδευτικό σύστημα;
«Δεν υπάρχουν πολλές διαφορές, πιστεύω. Φυσικά, σε κάποια σημεία υπάρχουν ομοιότητες. Για παράδειγμα, οι έφηβοι είναι έφηβοι και συμπεριφέρονται με συγκεκριμένο τρόπο, αλλά οι μαθητές στην Ολλανδία πάντα έχουν την ευκαιρία να συνεχίσουν εξαιτίας των διαφορετικών επιπέδων στα σχολεία. Επομένως, το σύστημα στην Ολλανδία είναι καλύτερο, επειδή δίνει ευκαιρίες». Η Neslihan εξηγεί ότι στην Τουρκία υπάρχει μόνο ένα επίπεδο και όλοι οι μαθητές πρέπει να μάθουν τα ίδια και να δώσουν τις ίδιες εξετάσεις. Έτσι, αν το επίπεδο είναι πάρα πολύ υψηλό, δεν έχεις άλλη επιλογή να συνεχίσεις τις σπουδές σου, κάτι που εξηγεί γιατί πολλοί νέοι παρατάνε το σχολείο.
Μια άλλη μεγάλη διαφορά είναι ότι δεν υπάρχει ιεραρχία στην Ολλανδία. «Ο διευθυντής μου και ο επικεφαλής της ομάδας μου είναι απλώς συνάδελφοί μου. Είμαστε το ίδιο και αντιμετωπιζόμαστε το ίδιο. Μπορώ να τους μιλήσω με το όνομά τους. Στην Τουρκία πρέπει να αποκαλείς κάποιον ή κάποια κύριο ή κυρία. Δεν θέλω άλλη την ιεραρχία στην Τουρκία. Θα ήθελα να αλλάξει αυτό».
Θα θέλατε να μοιραστείτε κάτι;
«Θα ήθελα να πω ότι όλοι είμαστε άνθρωποι που μπορούμε να συνυπάρξουμε, πρέπει να σέβεται ο ένας τον άλλο. Πρέπει να αντιμετωπίζεις τον άλλο με σεβασμό και να δημιουργείς μια ασφαλή και ωραία ατμόσφαιρα. Ήρθαμε εδώ για την ελευθερία μας και η Ολλανδία μας έδωσε πολλά δικαιώματα. Επομένως, πρέπει να κάνεις κάτι για την Ολλανδία, πρέπει να χρησιμοποιήσεις τις ικανότητες σου για να βοηθήσεις εδώ, να ενσωματωθείς. Το πρώτο βήμα είναι εύκολο: να χαιρετάς τους γείτονες σου ,να μιλάς με κάποιον και να είσαι καλός».
Η Neslihan ήθελε να υπενθυμίσει σε όλους ότι πολλοί άνθρωποι απειλούνται ακόμα στην Τουρκία ή είναι ξεχασμένοι στη φυλακή. Πάντα μπορείς να κάνεις κάτι για αυτούς, για παράδειγμα να μοιραστείς κάτι στο Twitter ή να μιλήσεις γι’ αυτό.
Neslihan est une réfugiée de Turquie qui est venue aux Pays-Bas pour construire une nouvelle vie avec son mari et ses deux enfants.
En août 2018, Neslihan a laissé derrière elle sa vie en Turquie et s’est réfugiée en Grèce. Elle y a passé trois mois avant de venir aux Pays-Bas. Elle a vécu avec sa famille dans un logement social à Amstelveen pendant quelques années. Elle a vécu avec sa famille pendant 19 mois dans différents centres d’hébergement d’urgence (AZC) à travers les Pays-Bas. “Je connais les Pays-Bas mieux qu’un Néerlandais ordinaire”, affirme Neslihan.
En Turquie, Neslihan a longtemps travaillé comme professeur de chimie, de physique et de biologie. Elle était impatiente de recommencer à enseigner lorsqu’elle est arrivée aux Pays-Bas. Heureusement, il n’a pas été difficile de trouver un emploi. Grâce au projet “Statushouders voor de Klas”, elle a appris le fonctionnement du système scolaire néerlandais, ce qui lui a permis de décrocher un stage. En outre, Neslihan a travaillé comme bénévole dans une école. Elle a travaillé comme assistante technique au lycée Apollo d’Amsterdam. Dans cette même école, elle a pu évoluer et, après un certain temps, elle a été autorisée à enseigner deux jours par semaine. L’année suivante, elle ne travaillera plus qu’en tant qu’assistante, mais en tant qu’enseignante.
Pourquoi avez-vous décidé de devenir enseignante à l’époque ?
“J’aime enseigner ; je ne vois pas cela comme un travail, car c’est une passion pour moi.” Cela fait maintenant 18 ans qu’elle enseigne et elle aime toujours autant son métier. Après avoir terminé ses études, elle a tout de suite commencé à enseigner. Elle a choisi d’enseigner la chimie, la physique et la biologie parce qu’elle avait les meilleures notes dans ces trois matières et qu’elle les trouvait amusantes.
Pourquoi avez-vous décidé de venir aux Pays-Bas ?
“Nous avons lu sur Internet et dans les journaux et nous avons souvent entendu dire qu’aux Pays-Bas, les gens sont libres et peuvent partager leurs opinions ou leurs idées. Malheureusement, ce n’est pas le cas en Turquie, où l’on n’est pas libre et où l’on ne peut pas dire ce que l’on veut. Même les enfants vont souvent en prison pour avoir révélé leurs opinions”. Pour cette raison, le frère et la sœur de Neslihan sont également venus aux Pays-Bas avec leur famille. Neslihan voit sa famille chaque semaine.
Quelles difficultés avez-vous rencontrées en arrivant aux Pays-Bas ?
Neslihan est une réfugiée politique et elle était considérée comme une terroriste dans son propre pays en raison de ses opinions. Avec toute sa famille, elle a dû fuir la Turquie par bateau. Le voyage jusqu’aux Pays-Bas a été éprouvant. Elle a dû payer beaucoup d’argent et négocier avec des passeurs, ce qui peut être très dangereux.
En outre, Neslihan voulait apprendre le néerlandais, ce qui s’est avéré assez difficile au début. Comme elle n’était pas obligée de s’intégrer à l’époque, elle n’a pas pu suivre de cours de néerlandais gratuits pendant son séjour à l’AZC. Elle a toutefois appris quelques notions de néerlandais grâce à des amis et des bénévoles de l’AZC. Elle en est très reconnaissante. Neslihan voulait s’intégrer et s’assimiler, et sa compréhension de la langue était donc fondamentale. Après une longue lutte, elle a finalement réussi à emprunter de l’argent, ce qui lui a permis de participer à un cours.
De temps en temps, elle a encore des difficultés avec la langue néerlandaise, en particulier avec le “er” et les différentes prépositions qu’elle trouve difficiles. En outre, elle ne comprend pas encore certaines expressions néerlandaises, mais elle pense que cela finira par s’arranger.
Quelles sont les différences entre les systèmes scolaires turc et néerlandais ?
“À mon avis, il n’y a pas tant de différences. Bien sûr, certaines choses sont assez similaires. Par exemple, les adolescents ne sont que des adolescents et se comportent de la même manière à certains égards, mais aux Pays-Bas, les élèves ont toujours la possibilité de passer à un autre niveau grâce aux différents niveaux scolaires. Par conséquent, le système néerlandais est mieux, car cette opportunité leur est offerte”.
Neslihan explique qu’en Turquie, il n’y a qu’un seul niveau et que chaque élève doit apprendre les mêmes matières et passer le même examen. Si le niveau est trop élevé, il n’y a pas d’autre possibilité de continuer à étudier, ce qui explique pourquoi de nombreux jeunes abandonnent l’école.
Une autre grande différence est qu’il y a peu de hiérarchie aux Pays-Bas. “Mon directeur et mon chef d’équipe sont simplement mes collègues. Nous sommes considérés et traités de la même manière. Je peux les appeler par leur nom. En Turquie, il faut s’adresser à tout le monde par monsieur ou madame. Je ne veux plus de hiérarchie en Turquie ; j’aimerais que cela change”.
Y a-t-il quelque chose que vous aimeriez partager ?
“J’aimerais dire que nous sommes tous des personnes qui peuvent vivre ensemble ; il suffit de se respecter les uns les autres. Il faut traiter tout le monde avec respect et créer une atmosphère sûre et plaisante. Nous sommes venus ici pour notre liberté et la Hollande nous a donné de nombreux droits. Par conséquent, vous devez faire quelque chose pour les Pays-Bas ; vous devez utiliser vos compétences pour aider le pays et vous intégrer. Le premier pas est facile à faire : dire bonjour à ses voisins, par exemple, ou simplement discuter avec quelqu’un et être gentil.”
Neslihan tient également à rappeler que de nombreuses personnes sont encore menacées en Turquie ou oubliées en prison. Vous pouvez toujours faire quelque chose pour eux, par exemple en partageant quelque chose sur Twitter ou en en parlant.
Education is a basic human right and tool that can transform individuals’ lives and yield more significant societal change. Education empowers, enlightens, and gives protection. Maybe not everyone is fond of the traditional schooling system of their own country, but no one can deny the power of learning – and this is what we should stand for. So, useful or not, knowledge should still be easier to access. Those who want to learn should be able to do so, especially in this era of digitalization, where many valuable teaching and learning tools can now be stored and accessed on the internet. The developed world can boast about parents waking their younger kids, preparing and taking them to daycare. Older kids and teenagers eagerly enter through the gates of their educational institutions in their parents’ cars or their school buses with beaming smiles on their faces.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, school is where refugees are offered a second opportunity. Failure to make this opportunity available to refugees will be an absolute denial of the chance to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills, which will be a springboard for their future development. Pathetic enough, it appears education is only a privilege in some parts of the world. The situation is worse in conflict areas where the conditions for providing education are incredibly challenging. There are 75 million children living in places devastated by violence, which means that educational institutions are under attack, and students and teachers get hurt. In many refugee camps, there is no daycare. There are no schools or other educational institutions, let alone universities. Some people in these parts do not even know that such establishments exist. The chances for learning are slim, and education is consistently dwindling now and then, with the illiteracy rate skyrocketing. According to the UN Refugee Agency report from August 2019, about 3.7 million refugee children do not attend school. The statistics from the UNHCR indicate that as of August of last year, only 24 % of refugee children were enrolled in secondary school, while scarcely 3 % attended university.
The gross decline in the drop out of school by refugee children could be a result of the lack of funding for refugee education. In many refugee camps, the basic infrastructure needed to support schooling are readily unavailable because of the lack of funding from central and local governments, private sector individuals, civil society organizations and NGOs, churches etc.
Syrian refugee children attend a lesson in a UNICEF temporary classroom in northern Lebanon. Photo by Russell Watkins/DFID
Moreover, for many refugees, their survival is their principal concern. Focus on education will only be futile for some refugees because their minds are not mentally and psychologically psyched enough to take the academic burden that may set in when they enroll in schools. Hence, access to education is often overlooked and seen as a secondary matter, and its importance is degraded. The displacement of refugees usually lasts from 10 to 20 years. In a worst-case scenario, this can lead to a 20-year-old or older person without any education or the will to pursue it. It often shows that age is a massive barrier to pursuing education, especially elementary. The older people get, the less confidence they have in themselves regarding learning. Even in instances where these refugees defy the odds and make it a point to still go to school, the chances of going far and getting into university or college are so slim.
As said by Gandhi, there is a need for greater investment in refugee education to ensure that children who are victims of such circumstances do not just have their future shattered but will get the chance to be educated and make meaningful contributions to society. This implies that educating refugee children does not result in any ‘instant’ benefit. It does not provide shelter, nor does it feed hungry mouths. But it brings hope and gives purpose, drawing these children toward a better and fulfilled future. In many countries, educating refugees is daunting as they are frequently stationed in parts where the countries in question struggle with educating their citizens. Still, some refugee camps offer basic schooling. It may not be of the most excellent quality, but it helps ignite interest in learning. Studying can provide a daily structure, which is of high importance in the misplaced life of a refugee child. Many of them are alone, not accompanied by their families, and learning in classes with other children provides foundations for further education and the comforting company of others.
It is important to note that not only is the inclusion of refugee children into the school system a critical issue, but also for the greater good of society. This suffices to say that the inclusion of refugee children into the school should not be limited to just some unofficial parallel schools, but rather the recognized national education system as this will give them a chance to follow a formal, recognized curriculum through pre-primary, primary and secondary school. This will provide them with the credentials that will allow them to pursue higher education or more technical training. Education gives children a sense of normality and teaches them about life outside of their current, vulnerable environment. One of the education briefs of the UNHCR stated that “Educated children and youth stand a greater chance of becoming adults who can participate effectively in civil society in all contexts.” Going to school allows easier integration into the new environment. The approach to educating refugees will be more impactful and rewarding than ever. Turkey, for instance, provides Turkish language training to help refugees integrate more quickly. Children feel more secure going to school if they at least understand the language basics. They can better follow the lessons and feel included and like they belong.
There have been more substantial improvements in the situation than years ago. However, there is still room for bettering the situation. We cannot anticipate any significant change if we do not strive to improve the world in every way possible. Governments across the globe can contribute to making the situation better. Private individuals, churches, and societies who wish to make the world a better place can also donate to many nonprofit organizations to make better the condition of refugee children and reduce the steep decline in the dropout. Also, there are a lot of people who leave their comfortable homes and nations in order to aid and educate young children who have probably never even seen a book in their lives, and such individuals deserve the support of the world in such a great course.
Neslihan ni mkimbizi kutoka Uturuki ambaye alikuja Uholanzi ili kujenga maisha mapya na mumewe na watoto wao wawili.
Mwezi Agosti 2018, Neslihan aliacha maisha yake Uturuki nyuma na kukimbia Ugiriki. Alikuwa huko kwa miezi mitatu kabla ya kuja Uholanzi. Amekuwa akiishi na familia yake katika nyumba za kijamii huko Amstelveen kwa miaka kadhaa. Aliishi na familia yake kwa muda wa miezi 19 katika vituo tofauti vya mapokezi ya wakimbizi (AZCs) nchini Uholanzi. “Ninajua Uholanzi vizuri zaidi kuliko Mholanzi wa kawaida,” anasema Neslihan.
Uturuki, Neslihan alikuwa amefanya kazi kama mwalimu wa kemia, fizikia, na biolojia kwa muda mrefu. Alikuwa na hamu ya kuanza kufundisha tena alipokuja Uholanzi. Bahati nzuri, kupata kazi haikuwa ngumu. Kupitia mradi wa “Statushouders voor de Klas”, alifundishwa jinsi mfumo wa shule ya Kiholanzi unavyofanya kazi, ambayo hatimaye ilimsaidia kupata mafunzo kazini. Aidha, Neslihan amefanya kazi kama mtoa huduma wa kujitolea katika shule. Huko alikuwa akifanya kazi kama msaidizi wa ufundishaji wa kiufundi katika shule ya upili ya Apollo huko Amsterdam. Katika shule hiyo hiyo, alikuwa na fursa ya kukua na baada ya muda, aliruhusiwa pia kufundisha siku mbili kwa wiki. Mwaka ujao atafundisha tu na hatafanya kazi tena kama msaidizi.
Kwa nini uliamua kuwa mwalimu wakati huo?
“Ninapenda kufundisha; Sioni hiyo kama kazi kwa sababu ni shauku yangu.” Amesoma kwa miaka 18 sasa na bado anafurahia sana. Baada ya kumaliza elimu yake, alianza kufundisha mara moja. Aliamua kuwa mwalimu wa kemia, fizikia, na biolojia kwa sababu alikuwa na alama za juu katika somo hizo tatu na aliziona kuwa mada za kufurahisha.
Kwa nini uliamua kuja Uholanzi?
“Tulisoma kwenye mtandao na habari na mara nyingi tulisikia kwamba Uholanzi, watu ni huru na wanaweza kushiriki maoni au mawazo yao. Kwa bahati mbaya, hii sio kesi nchini Uturuki, ambapo huwa huru na huwezi kusema unachotaka. Hata watoto mara nyingi wanakwenda gerezani kwa kufichua maoni yao”. Kwa sababu hii, ndugu na dada wa Neslihan pia walikuja Uholanzi na familia zao. Neslihan anawaona familia yake kila wiki.
Ulikabiliana na changamoto gani ulipofika Uholanzi?
Neslihan ni mkimbizi wa kisiasa na alikuwa akichukuliwa kama mtu wa kigaidi katika nchi yake kutokana na maoni yake. Pamoja na familia yake nzima, alilazimika kukimbia Uturuki kwa boti. Safari ya kufika Uholanzi ilikuwa ngumu. Alikuwa na kulipa fedha nyingi na kujadiliana na wasafirishaji wa watu, ambayo inaweza kuwa hatari sana.
Mbali na hayo, Neslihan alitaka kujifunza Kiholanzi; hii ilikuwa ngumu sana mwanzoni. Kwa sababu hakulazimika kujiunga wakati huo, hakuweza kuhudhuria kozi ya bure ya lugha ya Kiholanzi wakati wa kuishi kwake katika vituo vya mapokezi ya wakimbizi. Hata hivyo, aliweza kujifunza Kiholanzi kidogo kutoka kwa marafiki na wafanyakazi wa kujitolea katika vituo hivyo. Kwa hilo, anashukuru sana. Neslihan alitaka kujiunga na kufyonza tamaduni, kwa hivyo ufahamu wake wa lugha ulikuwa muhimu. Baada ya mapambano marefu, hatimaye alifanikiwa kukopa pesa ambazo alitumia kwa kozi.
Marafiki na wafanyakazi wa kujitolea katika AZC. Kwa hili, anashukuru sana. Neslihan alitaka kujiunga na kufyonza tamaduni, kwa hivyo ufahamu wake wa lugha ulikuwa muhimu. Baada ya mapambano marefu, hatimaye alifanikiwa kukopa pesa ambazo alitumia kwa kozi.
Kwa mara chache bado ana shida na lugha ya Kiholanzi, hasa ‘er’ na viambishi mbalimbali ambavyo anavipata vigumu. Aidha, bado haelewi baadhi ya mafumbo ya Kiholanzi, lakini anaamini kwamba hatimaye itatengemaa.
Je, kuna tofauti kati ya mfumo wa shule wa Uturuki na Uholanzi?
“Hakuna tofauti nyingi, nadhani. Bila shaka, mambo fulani ni sawa kabisa. Kwa mfano, vijana ni vijana tu na wanajitahidi kwa njia zinazofanana, lakini wanafunzi nchini Uholanzi wana fursa ya kuendelea kutokana na viwango tofauti vya shule. Kwa hivyo, mfumo wa Uholanzi ni bora kwa sababu fursa hiyo ipo.” Neslihan anaelezea kwamba nchini Uturuki, kuna kiwango kimoja tu na kila mwanafunzi lazima ajifunze masomo sawa na kufanya mtihani sawa. Kwa hiyo, ikiwa kiwango hiki ni kigumu sana, huna chaguo lingine la kuendelea kusoma, ndiyo maana vijana wengi wanakatisha masomo.
Tofauti nyingine kubwa ni kwamba kuna mamlaka kidogo nchini Uholanzi. “Mkurugenzi wangu na kiongozi wangu wa timu ni wenzangu tu. Tunachukuliwa kama sawa na kutendewa kwa njia ile ile. Nawaweza kuwaita kwa majina yao. Uturuki, lazima umwite kila mtu bwana au bibi. Sipendi kuwa na mamlaka zaidi nchini Uturuki; ningependa kubadilisha hilo”.
Je, kuna kitu chochote unachotaka kushiriki?
“Ningependa kusema kwamba sote ni binadamu ambao tunaweza kuishi pamoja; unapaswa tu kuwa na heshima kwa wengine. Lazima umtendee kila mtu kwa heshima na kuunda mazingira salama na mazuri. Tulikuja hapa kwa uhuru wetu, na Uholanzi imetupa haki nyingi. Kwa hiyo, lazima ufanye kitu kwa ajili ya Uholanzi; lazima utumie ujuzi wako kusaidia hapa, kujumuika. Kuchukua hatua ya kwanza ni rahisi: kusema “jambo” kwa majirani zako, kwa mfano, au tu kuzungumza na mtu na kuwa mwenye heshima.”
Neslihan pia alitaka kukumbusha kila mtu kwamba wengi bado wanatishiwa nchini Uturuki au wameachwa gerezani. Unaweza daima kufanya kitu kwa ajili yao, kwa mfano, kwa kushiriki kitu kwenye Twitter au kuzungumza juu yake.
Imetafsiriwa na Joseph Kamanga kutoka kwa asili https://brokenchalk.org/story-of-neslihan-ozcan-sahin-after-all-her-struggle-a-refugee-teacher-begins-to-teach-again/
在土耳其,内斯利安曾长期担任化学、物理和生物教师。当她来到荷兰时,她渴望再次开始教学。幸运的是,找到一份工作并不困难。通过 “Statushouders voor de Klas项目”,她学到了荷兰学校系统的运作方式,这最终帮助她获得了一份实习工作。此外,内斯利安还在一所学校担任过志愿者。在那里,她在阿姆斯特丹的阿波罗高中担任技术教学助理。在同一所学校工作了一段时间后,她得到了提拔,被允许每周教两天书。明年,她将只教学,而不再担任助理工作。
Neslihan è una rifugiata turca giunta nei Paesi Bassi per costruirsi una nuova vita con il marito e i due figli.
Nell’agosto del 2018, Neslihan si è lasciata alle spalle la sua vita in Turchia ed è fuggita in Grecia. Lì ha trascorso tre mesi prima di arrivare in Olanda. Ha vissuto con la sua famiglia in una casa popolare ad Amstelveen per alcuni anni. Ha vissuto con la sua famiglia per 19 mesi in diversi centri di accoglienza dei Paesi Bassi. Neslihan afferma: “Conosco i Paesi Bassi meglio di un olandese medio”.
In Turchia, Neslihan ha lavorato a lungo come insegnante di chimica, fisica e biologia. Quando è arrivata nei Paesi Bassi, non vedeva l’ora di ricominciare a insegnare. Fortunatamente, trovare un lavoro non è stato difficile. Grazie al progetto “Statushouders voor de Klas”, le è stato spiegato il funzionamento del sistema scolastico olandese, permettendole di ottenere un tirocinio. Inoltre, Neslihan ha lavorato come volontaria in una scuola. Ha lavorato come assistente tecnico all’insegnamento presso il liceo Apollo di Amsterdam. Nella stessa scuola ha avuto modo di crescere e, dopo un po’, le è stato permesso di insegnare due giorni alla settimana. L’anno prossimo insegnerà soltanto e non lavorerà più come assistente.
Perché ha deciso di diventare insegnante?
“Mi piace insegnare, non lo vedo come un lavoro perché è una mia passione”. Insegna ormai da 18 anni e continua a divertirsi molto. Dopo aver completato la sua formazione, ha iniziato subito a insegnare. Ha scelto di diventare insegnante di chimica, fisica e biologia perché aveva i voti più alti in queste tre materie e le trovava interessanti.
Perché ha deciso di venire nei Paesi Bassi?
“Leggiamo su Internet e nei telegiornali e spesso sentiamo dire che nei Paesi Bassi le persone sono libere e possono condividere le loro opinioni o idee. Purtroppo, non è lo stesso in Turchia, dove non si è liberi e non si può dire ciò che si vuole. Persino i bambini finiscono spesso in prigione per aver rivelato le loro opinioni”. Per questo motivo, anche il fratello e la sorella di Neslihan sono venuti nei Paesi Bassi con le loro famiglie. Neslihan vede la sua famiglia ogni settimana.
Quali sfide ha dovuto affrontare quando è arrivato nei Paesi Bassi?
Neslihan è una rifugiata politica e nel suo Paese è stata considerata una terrorista a causa delle sue idee. Con tutta la sua famiglia, è dovuta fuggire dalla Turchia in barca. Il viaggio per arrivare nei Paesi Bassi è stato intenso. Ha dovuto pagare molti soldi e negoziare con i trafficanti di esseri umani, il che può essere molto pericoloso.
Inoltre, Neslihan voleva imparare l’olandese, cosa che all’inizio è stata piuttosto difficile. Non essendo obbligata a integrarsi, non ha potuto seguire un corso gratuito di olandese durante il suo soggiorno in AZC. Tuttavia, ha imparato un po’ di olandese da amici e volontari dell’AZC.E di ciò è molto grata. Neslihan voleva integrarsi e assimilarsi, quindi la comprensione della lingua era fondamentale. Dopo una lunga battaglia, è finalmente riuscita a ottenere un prestito con il quale ha potuto frequentare un corso.
A volte ha ancora problemi con la lingua olandese, in particolare con “er” e le diverse preposizioni che trova difficili. Inoltre, non capisce ancora alcune espressioni olandesi, ma è sicura che alla fine tutto si risolverà.
Quali sono le differenze tra il sistema scolastico turco e quello olandese?
“Non ci sono molte differenze, credo. Certo, alcune cose sono abbastanza simili. Per esempio, gli adolescenti sono solo adolescenti e si comportano sempre nello stesso modo, ma gli studenti nei Paesi Bassi hanno sempre la possibilità di andare avanti grazie ai diversi livelli scolastici. Pertanto, il sistema dei Paesi Bassi è migliore perché c’è questa possibilità”. Neslihan spiega che in Turchia c’è un solo livello e che ogni studente deve imparare le stesse materie e sostenere lo stesso esame. Quindi, se questo livello è troppo alto, non si ha un’altra possibilità di continuare a studiare, ed è per questo che molti giovani abbandonano la scuola.
Un’altra grande differenza è che nei Paesi Bassi c’è poca gerarchia. “Il mio direttore e il mio team leader sono solo miei colleghi. Siamo considerati uguali e trattati allo stesso modo. Posso chiamarli per nome. In Turchia, invece, bisogna rivolgersi a tutti con signore o signora. Non voglio più gerarchie in Turchia; vorrei cambiare questa situazione”.
C’è qualcosa che vorreste condividere?
“Vorrei dire che siamo tutte persone che possono vivere insieme, basta avere rispetto per gli altri. Bisogna trattare tutti con rispetto e creare un’atmosfera sicura e piacevole. Siamo venuti qui per la nostra libertà e l’Olanda ci ha dato molti diritti. Pertanto, dovete fare qualcosa per i Paesi Bassi; dovete usare le vostre capacità per aiutare qui, per integrarvi. Fare il primo passo è facile: salutare i vicini, ad esempio, o semplicemente chiacchierare con qualcuno ed essere gentili”.
Neslihan ha anche voluto ricordare a tutti che molte persone sono ancora minacciate in Turchia o dimenticate in prigione. Si può sempre fare qualcosa per loro, ad esempio condividendo qualcosa su Twitter o parlandone.
Translated by Matilde Ribetti from the original https://brokenchalk.org/story-of-neslihan-ozcan-sahin-after-all-her-struggle-a-refugee-teacher-begins-to-teach-again/
Neslihan, kocası ve iki çocuğuyla yeni bir hayat kurmak için Hollanda’ya Türkiye’den gelen bir mülteci.
Neslihan, Ağustos 2018’de Türkiye’deki hayatını geride bırakarak Yunanistan’a göç etti. Hollanda’ya gelmeden önce orada üç ay geçirdi. Birkaç yıldır ailesiyle birlikte Amstelveen’de bir sosyal konutta yaşıyor. Ailesiyle birlikte 19 ay boyunca Hollanda genelinde farklı sığınmacı merkezlerinde yaşadı. Neslihan, “Hollanda’yı ortalama bir Hollandalı’dan daha iyi tanıyorum” diyor.
Neslihan Türkiye’de uzun süre kimya, fizik ve biyoloji öğretmeni olarak çalıştı. Hollanda’ya geldiğinde tekrar öğretmenlik yapmaya başlamak için çok hevesliydi. Neyse ki iş bulmak zor olmadı. “Statushouders voor de Klas projesi” yardımıyla Hollanda’daki okul sisteminin nasıl çalıştığı öğrendi ve bu da onun daha sonra stajyerlik yapmasına yardımcı oldu. Neslihan ayrıca Amsterdam’daki Apollo lisesinde teknik öğretim asistanı rolünde gönüllü olarak çalıştı. Aynı okulda kendini geliştirdi ve bir süre sonra haftada iki gün öğretmenlik yapmayı hak etti. Gelecek yıl sadece öğretmenlik yapacak ve artık asistan olarak çalışmayacak.
Neden o dönemde öğretmen olmaya karar verdiniz?
“Öğretmekten zevk alıyorum; bunu bir iş olarak görmüyorum çünkü bu benim bir tutkum.” Neslihan 18 yıldır öğretmenlik yapıyor ve hala bundan gerçekten memnun. Eğitimini tamamladıktan sonra hemen öğretmenliğe başladı. Bu üç konuda en yüksek notları aldığı ve eğlenceli bulduğu için kimya, fizik ve biyoloji öğretmeni olmayı seçti.
Neden Hollanda’ya gelmeye karar verdiniz?
“İnternette ve haberlerde okuduk ve Hollanda’da insanların özgür olduğunu ve fikirlerini paylaşabildiğini duyduk. Ne yazık ki, özgür olmadığınız ve istediğinizi söyleyemediğiniz Türkiye’de durum böyle değil. Çocuklar bile fikirlerini açıkladıkları için sık sık hapse girerler”. Bu nedenle Neslihan’ın abisi ve ablası da aileleriyle birlikte Hollanda’ya geldi. Neslihan ailesi ile her hafta görüşüyor.
Hollanda’ya geldiğinizde ne gibi zorluklarla karşılaştınız?
Neslihan siyasi bir mülteci ve görüşlerinden dolayı kendi ülkesinde terörist olarak görülüyordu. Tüm ailesiyle birlikte tekneyle Türkiye’den kaçmak zorunda kaldı. Hollanda’ya gelme yolculuğu yoğundu. Çok para ödemek ve insan kaçakçılarıyla pazarlık yapmak zorunda kaldı ki bu oldukça tehlikeli bir durumdu.
Ayrıca Hollandaca öğrenmek isteyen Neslihan için ilk başta bu oldukça zordu. O sırada uyum sağlamak zorunda olmadığı için, sığınmacı merkezinde kaldığı süre boyunca ücretsiz bir Hollandaca dil kursu alamamıştı. Ancak, sığınmacı merkezindeki arkadaşlarından ve gönüllülerden biraz Hollandaca öğrendi. Bunun için çok minnettar olduğunu ifade etti. Neslihan bütünleşmek ve asimile olmak istiyordu, bu yüzden dil anlayışı bunun gerçekleşmesi için bir temeldi. Uzun bir mücadeleden sonra nihayet bir kursa gidebileceği kadar borç para almayı başardı.
Arada sırada, özellikle ‘er’ ve zor bulduğu farklı edatlar olmak üzere, Hollandaca’da hala sorun yaşıyor. Ayrıca, bazı Hollandaca ifadeleri henüz anlamıyor, ancak zamanla daha iyi olacağına inanıyor.
Türk ve Hollanda okul sistemleri arasındaki farklar nelerdir?
“Bence çok fazla fark yok. Elbette bazı şeyler oldukça benzer. Örneğin, ergenlik çağındaki çocuklar genelde aynı şekilde davranırlar, ancak Hollanda’daki öğrenciler, farklı okul seviyeleri nedeniyle her zaman farklı yönlere devam etme şansına sahipler. Bu nedenle, Hollanda’daki sistem daha iyi çünkü bu şans mevcut.” Neslihan, Türkiye’de tek seviye olduğunu, her öğrencinin aynı konuları öğrenmesi ve aynı sınava girmesi gerektiğini anlatıyor. Dolayısıyla, bu da seviyeyi yükseltiyor, okumaya devam etmekten başka bir seçenek bırakmıyor, bu yüzden birçok genç okulu bırakıyor.
Bir başka büyük fark da Hollanda’da çok az hiyerarşi olmasıdır. “Müdürüm ve ekip liderim sadece benim meslektaşlarım. Aynı görüldüğümüz için aynı muameleyi görüyoruz. Onlara isimleriyle hitap edebiliyorum. Türkiye’de herkese bay veya bayan diye hitap etmek zorundasınız. Türkiye’de daha fazla hiyerarşi istemiyorum; bunu değiştirmek isterdim.”
Paylaşmak istediğiniz bir şey var mı?
“Hepimizin bir arada yaşayabiliriz, yeter ki birbirinize saygı duyalım. Herkese saygılı davrarak güvenli ve güzel bir atmosfer yaratmalısınız. Biz buraya özgürlüğümüz için geldik, Hollanda da bunu sağladı. Bize birçok hak verildi. Bu nedenle, Hollanda için bir şeyler yapmak, buradakilere yardım etmek, entegre olmak için becerilerinizi kullamak gerekli. Komşularınıza merhaba demek ya da sadece sohbet açmak ve kibar olmak gibi ilk adımları atmak kolaydır.”
Neslihan ayrıca Türkiye’de birçok kişinin hala tehdit altında olduğunu veya hapiste olduğunu herkese hatırlatmak istedi. Twitter’da paylaşım yapmak veya bu konularda konuşmak gibi her zaman bu insanlar için bir şeyler yapabilirsiniz.
Translated by Müge Çınar from the original https://brokenchalk.org/story-of-neslihan-ozcan-sahin-after-all-her-struggle-a-refugee-teacher-begins-to-teach-again/
Neslihan is a refugee from Turkey who came to the Netherlands to build a new life with her husband and two children.
In August 2018, Neslihan left her life in Turkey behind and fled to Greece. There she spent three months before coming to the Netherlands. She has lived with her family in social housing in Amstelveen for a few years. She lived with her family for 19 months in different AZCs throughout the Netherlands. “I know the Netherlands better than an average Dutch person”, Neslihan claims.
In Turkey, Neslihan had long worked as a chemistry, physics, and biology teacher. She was eager to start teaching again when she came to the Netherlands. Fortunately, finding a job was not difficult. Through the “Statushouders voor de Klas project,” she was taught how the Dutch school system works, which eventually helped her secure an internship. In addition, Neslihan has worked as a volunteer at a school. There she was working as a technical teaching assistant at the Apollo high school in Amsterdam. At the same school, she was able to grow and, after a while, was also allowed to teach two days a week. Next year she will only teach and no longer work as an assistant.
Why did you decide to become a teacher at the time?
“I enjoy teaching; I don’t see it as a job because it’s a passion of mine.” She has been teaching for 18 years now and still really enjoys it. After completing her education, she started teaching right away. She chose to become a chemistry, physics, and biology teacher because she had the highest grades in these three subjects and found them fun topics.
Why did you decide to come to the Netherlands?
“We read through on the Internet and the news and often heard that in the Netherlands, people are free and can share their opinions or ideas. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Turkey, where you are not free and cannot say what you want. Even children often go to prison for revealing their opinions”. Because of this, Neslihan’s brother and sister also came to the Netherlands with their families. Neslihan sees her family every week.
What challenges did you face when you came to the Netherlands?
Neslihan is a political refugee and was considered a Terrorist in her own country because of her views. With her whole family, she had to flee Turkey by boat. The journey to come to the Netherlands was intense. She had to pay much money and negotiate with people smugglers, which can be pretty dangerous.
In addition, Neslihan wanted to learn Dutch; this was quite difficult at first. Because she was not obligated to integrate then, she could not take a free Dutch language course during her stay in the AZC. However, she learned some Dutch from friends and volunteers in the AZC. For this, she is very grateful. Neslihan wanted to integrate and assimilate, so her language understanding was fundamental. After a long struggle, she finally managed to borrow money with which she was able to take a course.
Occasionally she still has trouble with the Dutch language, especially ‘er’ plus the different prepositions she finds difficult. In addition, she does not yet understand certain Dutch expressions, but she believes this will eventually work out.
What are the differences between the Turkish and Dutch school systems?
“There are not many differences, I think. Of course, some things are quite similar. For example, adolescents are just adolescents and behave the same in certain ways, but the students in the Netherlands always have the chance to move on because of the different school levels. Therefore, the system in the Netherlands is better because that chance is available.” Neslihan explains that in Turkey, there is only one level and that every student has to learn the same subjects and take the same exam. So, if this level is too high, you don’t have another option to continue studying, which is why many young people drop out of school.
Another big difference is that there is little hierarchy in the Netherlands. “My director and my team leader are just my colleagues. We are seen as the same and treated the same. I can call them by their name. In Turkey, you have to address everyone by sir or ma’am. I want no more hierarchy in Turkey; I would like to change that”.
Is there anything you would like to share?
“I would like to say that we are all people who can just live together; you just have to have respect for one another. You must treat everyone respectfully and create a safe and nice atmosphere. We came here for our freedom, and Holland has given us many rights. Therefore, you have to do something for the Netherlands; you have to use your skills to help here, to integrate. Taking that first step is easy: saying hello to your neighbours, for example, or just chatting with someone and being nice.”
Neslihan also wanted to remind everyone that many people are still threatened in Turkey or forgotten in prison. You can always do something for them, for example, by sharing something on Twitter or talking about it.
Algeria to ease primary school programme. Photo by Magharebia
Algeria is known as the geographically largest country in Africa, located in northern Africa. This country may be divided into two separate parts, one is under the influence of the Mediterranean with the Atlas Mountains as known Tell and the other mostly consists of the desert situated in the western portion of the Shara. The total population that is living in Algeria is nearly 44 million.[1]
Algeria became independent after more than 130 years of colonization in 1962. During the colonization, the education system was constructed for mirroring that of France, mostly serviced by the French population and a relatively small Algerian elite. When the Algerian Independence War ended, nearly 90% of the population was illiterate. As a result, the country went into creating a new Algeria by following Arabization.[2]
In 1990, the expenditure on education was high, at 29.7% of the national budget. Education was put at the centre of rebuilding the country by creating a skilled force and people who share the same national consciousness[3]. Although their attempts of reforming the education system after the Second World, the progress in the education of the children remained insufficient. Accordingly, colonial history, gender, ethnicity, and religion formed the education opportunities for the children.[4]
Today, education at all levels is free in Algeria in the condition of passing the previous cycle. Social policy is applied by the state in the education sector, and this may be related to the democratic transition, although it’s debatable how successful it was[5]. The Algerian school system includes three cycles that are primary, middle and secondary school. Nine years of education from ages 6 to 14, the first two cycles are compulsory and the attendance rate is very high. Secondary education is also compulsory while having high numbers of drop-offs.
Main Challenges in Education
A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for teaching, however, there are differences in teacher preparation programs and in-service training programs. Only 17% of primary school teachers have this certification, and nearly 70% of middle school teachers don’t have it. Furthermore, the educational system’s internal effectiveness falls far short of what society expects, as evidenced by the high rates of school dropout and repetition among students.[6]
Poorly maintained facilities, and a lack of teachers and classroom space, especially in underprivileged communities, are examples of inadequate infrastructure. The lack of regulations and educational facilities restricts pre-primary education. Numerous students are required to repeat grades, especially at the lower secondary level, which motivates them to drop out.
Low educational quality is caused by a grading system that measures how test takers perform in contrast to their peers rather than how much information they know, by instruction that prioritizes content over learning, and by the absence of participation from important stakeholders. International test results are 20% below the worldwide average.[7] Many of the children who are not in school are disabled children. Specialist centres are scarce, and attempts to integrate students into regular classes fall short.
Economic Disparity
Nearly 2% of boys in primary school age are out of school, and it is nearly the same rate for girls. The disparity in genders gets wider in secondary school; 17% male youth and 14% of female youth never attend school. In both primary and secondary schools, the widest disparity can be realized between the poorest and richest children who are out of school. While attendance at primary school by the poorest children drops by 1% compared to the richest ones, it declines by 20% in secondary education level considering the poor economic conditions of the families. It shows how economic conditions hinder children to reach their main right to get an education. Despite the social policies of the state, most of the children in Algeria are unable to get a basic level of education due to inadequate economic conditions.[8]
Discriminatory socioeconomic characteristics play a huge role in education in the country. Household wealth, social differences, regional economic disparities and the mother’s educational level are the predominant factors that affect educational imbalance in Algeria. There is a crucial need for incentives by the government for children who can’t afford education or for children who have to work in order to support their families. On the other hand, regional and social differences have decreased, according to an analysis of developments over the past ten years. The equality of the Algerian educational system has improved as a result.[9] Yet, more investment is needed to create homogeneous economic levels in every region to solve educational disparities between children.
Algeria’s economy suffered from a blow to the government budget due to the country’s oil-dependent economy. The struggle in the economy started in 2014 with the drop in global oil prices. Dependency on oil and gas export, rather than investing in other sectors, put Algeria in a vulnerable situation due to the breakdown of the trade during Covid-19.[10] Moreover, this situation contributed a multidimensional poverty that also affected education in a large dimension. Education spending on education dropped from 7.3% to 6.1% due to the pandemic. Hopefully, spending on education increased to 7% in 2020 and be back to normal levels before the pandemic.[11]
Despite the country providing nine years of mandatory and free education for all levels of schooling, Algeria still needs to improve some objectives to provide quality education, better living conditions and low unemployment by prioritizing its GDP spending on education.
High Rates of Non-Enrollment and Drop-Outs
According to data from UNICEF on the state of education, net enrolment levels are as follows: in elementary education, 98% of boys and 97% of girls are enrolled; in middle and high school, 57% of boys and 65% of girls are enrolled.[12] These statistics make it obvious that basic levels of participation are sufficient, but it requires much more growth. While primary school attendance is nearly the same for both genders, It changes after middle school when the attendance of boys at school is less than girls.
There are nearly 8.5 million children receiving an education in the three stages of education. According to the report, about 1 million Algerian children between the ages of 5 and 14 (or 15% of this age group) are impacted by various non-enrollment factors. Primary school attendance is high. On the other hand, at the secondary education level, half of them are not in school, and the other half are enrolled but in danger of dropping out before finishing the cycle.[13]
While participation in basic education is a huge problem to solve, drop-outs of school children is another critical issue to be concerned about. According to the Algerian League for Defence of Human Rights, 400,000 children drop out of school yearly, while 25,000 continue to get professional training. School dropouts occur mostly in the countryside due to the remoteness of schools and high rates of poverty. It is important to add that some regions are poorly equipped with water, heating and electricity that make getting an education impossible for children. Also, the classrooms are inadequate which leads to over crowdedness in classrooms. These are the main discouragements of children from getting an education and 4.7% of them drop out of school as a result.[14]
The Language Barrier
After its independence from France, the country pursued the usage of the French language at the institutions and the administration of business, despite the wide application of the Arabization policy. Today the official language of Algeria is Arabic and Tamazight, and Berber was also recognized as a national language in 2002. President Tebboune announced in June 2022 that the government took a step toward language transition into English in primary schools too.[15] He points out the universality of the English language to learn by children for their benefit, while others have criticised this transition as political agenda related to the history of the country.
In the early years of the Republic, especially under Houari Boumediene’s rule, Arabisation policies dominated the implementation of education policies. The law was applied to generalise using Arabic in 1991.[16] Implementing Arabisation to the education sector, academies and workers failed to switch to the Arabic language successfully. Also, Algeria’s ethnically diverse population was damaged by this transition.
Today, once again Algeria find itself in an intervention in language transition despite other challenges in the education sector waiting to be solved. With the decision of replacing French with English, a drastic change has been made and this situation will affect more than 20,000 schools across the country in 2023. Under the curriculum in 2022, English is taught at secondary school, while children at nine years old start with French.[17] Algerian children are being left unable to continue academically with a single language due to the unclarity of provisions in the transition into English in schools. This will also hinder the future workforce to form a single language to carry the work.
Higher education started to offer English in many degrees, while some of them remain taught in French. The main question is; Are there enough qualified academicians and teachers to pursue the language transition policy?
Low Qualified Staff in Higher Education
The students who attended higher education were composed of 1.5 million in 2020. In fact, women had a greater gross enrolment rate in higher education than males did.[18] 41% of females and 19% of males attended higher education, according to MICS data of UNESCO in 2019. This trend indicates that males are more likely to drop school than females in Algeria.[19] Poverty plays a huge role in gender inequality in education, male children are likely to be child-labour to support their families and themselves. Also, males tend to repeat classes more than females, and their risk of failing in classes to complete their education is higher.
The qualitative improvement of teaching in the higher education institutions is a must. Only 28% of the academic staff in the universities are holding doctorates. The government-funded programmes for doctoral students to study abroad are being negotiated. The British Council and the Ministry are working together on a large-scale postgraduate study programme for people who want to study abroad.[20] Hopefully, this would help facilitate the reform of the higher education system.
More than 173,000 Sahrawi refugees currently live in five camps located in Tindouf province, Algeria. These people were displaced more than 45 years after fleeing the conflict. The children who live in the camps are suffering from food security, health conditions, inadequate protection and most importantly lack of education.[21]
Nearly 98% of the children are getting primary school education, and the illiteracy rate is 4%. Yet, secondary and grad school educations are not provided in the camps. Each camp consists of six primary schools and two middle schools with very low incentives and low resources. Sahrawi students are able to attend secondary schools and universities for free, but most of them are not able to cover travel and living expenses for moving to other cities. A number of male students who move out to study, while it’s not possible for the female students to do so.[22]
The 2021-2025 five-year education strategy for Sahrawi refugees in Algeria was launched by UNHCR, UNICEF, and WFP in November 2021 with the goal of improving Sahrawi refugee children’s and adolescents’ inclusive access to high-quality education. 244 kids with physical and cognitive disabilities are also given Special Needs Education (SNE) in 10 SNE centres spread around the camps. Children who are refugees are supported by UNHCR by giving them books, school supplies, and teaching aids to promote a secure learning environment.[23]
Durham, B. (2021). Primary Education and the French Army During the Algerian War of Independence. In: Beier, J.M., Tabak, J. (eds) Childhoods in Peace and Conflict. Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-74788-6_7#ref-CR31
[2] Durham, B. (2021). Primary Education and the French Army During the Algerian War of Independence. In: Beier, J.M., Tabak, J. (eds) Childhoods in Peace and Conflict. Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
[3] Rose, M. (2015). Education in North Africa since independence. In Paper commissioned for the Hammamet Conference. London: British Council.
[4] Durham, B. (2021). Primary Education and the French Army During the Algerian War of Independence. In: Beier, J.M., Tabak, J. (eds) Childhoods in Peace and Conflict. Rethinking Peace and Conflict Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Human rights are fundamental parts of our social and governance systems. These universal rights are inherent to every individual regardless of nationality, ethnicity, race or sex[1]. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), every individual has the right to life, liberty and security (Article 3), shall not be subject to torture (Article 5) or arbitrary arrest and detention (Article 9)[2]. In addition, Article 13 and 14 of the UDHR lay down that people have the right to leave any country, including their own to seek asylum in other countries due to fear of persecution in their home country[3]. However, despite all the international norms and legal frameworks in place today, the abovementioned rights of many individuals are violated when they seek refuge in foreign countries. In particular, a recent study found that hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers are being pushed back at the borders of the European Union when they try to escape their home countries in the hope of a better life[4].
The refugee crisis in Europe started in 2015 when a huge influx of third-country nationals arrived at the borders of the European Union. According to the statistics of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than five million refugees arrived at the borders of the Union by 2016[5]. Although the biggest wave of the crisis is over, still many refugees arrive to Europe nowadays as there were over half a million asylum applications submitted to the European Union in 2021[6].
However, tens of thousands of refugees are pushed back at the borders to prevent them from entering the European Union[7]. For instance, it has been reported that Spain deports unaccompanied minors to Morocco which puts the vulnerable refugee children at risk of exploitation and violates their human rights[8]. Another example is the case of Syrian refugees who wanted to enter Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina but were pushed back by the Croatian police officers, were beaten and unlawfully detained[9]. Additional countries that were found to be unlawfully denying entry for refugees and pushing them back at the borders with the use of force and violence include Greece, Hungary, Italy and Malta. In addition, Bulgaria is also one of the countries that unfairly pushes back refugees without any assessment of individual cases. This is illustrated by the case of a Turkish journalist who fled Turkey because he was suspected to be part of the Gülen movement which is perceived as a terrorist organization, he was fired from his workplace and feared further reprisals[10]. When arriving at the borders, Bulgarian officers failed to assess his case, disregarded his fear of persecution and return in Turkey, and forced him to sign documents he did not understand[11]. In less than 24 hours after his arrival he was handcuffed and handed over to the Turkish authorities, was held in detention and later sentenced to seven years of prison for his alleged support of the Gülen movement[12].
This case perfectly demostrates the core idea of the Refugee Convention of 1951 that was signed by all the member states of the European Union and that lays down that refugees must not be returned to a country where they face threats to their life and human rights. This is the principle of non-refoulement which is an essential component of refugees’ and asylum seekers’ protection and is part of customary international law, which means that it also applies to states that have not ratified the Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol. The original Convention had a limited geographical and time scope as it was only applicable to refugees of World War II, but its additional Protocol of 1967 removed this restriction and this extention of the treaty was also ratified by all EU states. In this sense, countries that unlawfully push back refugees, deny their entry and reject their asylum application without assessment not only violate their human right to life, security, movement and not being subject to torture, arbitrary arrest and detention as laid down in the UDHR, but also breach international law and norms since many of these refugees fled their country due to fear of persecution.
What even further exacerbates the problem is the fact that often times the European Union itself is indirectly funding these pushbacks, thereby supporting human right violations and going against the Union’s core values. The pushbacks were found to often be carried out with the help of Europe’s border agency Frontex which uses the Union’s financial resources. The European Ombusdman found that the European Commission has been providing funding for border control since 2018 but only established an independent monitoring mechanism to safeguard human rights at the borders in the middle of 2021[13]. The Ombudsman ruled that while the Commission lacks the authority to investigate the protection of human rights at border activities, it has the authority as well as the obligation to ensure that the Union’s funds are spent in compliance with EU law and human rights law[14]. Therefore it is the Commission’s responsibility to make sure that funds are not allocated to activities that are not in line with the European Union’s values and international law, such as the unlawful pushback of refugees. Furthermore, according to Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Commission can initiate so-called infringement prodecures which are legal procedures to ensure that member states are complying with EU law[15]. This means that the European Commission can fulfil its obligation of overseeing the protection of human rights inside member states by establishing and funding monitoring bodies and in case of a breach it can initiate such an infringement prodecude and bring the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union. In addition, the Commission can also introduce conditionality between human rights protection and funding, which means that it can establish a system to make funds conditional and withhold funds from member states that do not comply with EU laws and values[16].
In conclusion, fundamental human rights are violated at the borders of Europe and the EU as refugees and asylum seekers are often pushed back and experience violence. Refugees are threatened, assaulted, abused and detained, left to die on their boats or thrown into the sea, which results in thousands of tragic deaths that could have been easily prevented[17]. This violates their human rights, namely the right to life, security and movement, as well as the right to be free from torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, which poses a severe threat to these innocent people’s physical well-being. Lastly, the European Commission is not only ignoring but also funding these human right violations which contradicts the values of the Union. Refugees are inherently a highly vulnerable group and have less access to national courts to enforce their rights and make their voice heard. Therefore it is the responsibility of the EU and its member states to ensure that refugees’ fundamental rights, and it is the European Commission’s obligation to make sure that the funds allocated to member states for border control and asylum application procedures are spent in compliance with the Union’s values as well as international law and norms.
European Ombudsman. (2022). Decision concerning how the European Commission monitors and ensures respect for fundamental rights by the Croatian authorities in the context of border management operations supported by EU funds (case 1598/2020/VS). https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/decision/en/152811
Rijpma, J., & Fotiadis, A. (2022). Addressing the Violation of Fundamental Rights at the External Borders of the European Union. https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/article/study/addressing-the-violation-of-fundamental-rights-at-the-external-borders-of-the-european-union. The Greens/European Free Alliance.
[13] European Ombudsman. (2022). Decision concerning how the European Commission monitors and ensures respect for fundamental rights by the Croatian authorities in the context of border management operations supported by EU funds (case 1598/2020/VS)
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.