Supporting specific needs by Teacher Academy

Barbara, Germany

2017-05-08 14:36:19 UTC

We had a boy who after seeing his parents killed walked through the Sahara Desert, Libya and crossed the Mediterranean on a rubber boat. He saw travelers die and was raped and beaten along the treacherous route. He saw his travelling buddy drown and he was lucky and got saved by the Coast Guard.

It was impossible to receive help for this boy.He had no parents so my only contact through the head master and school social worker was a woman from the town office of the Youth Welfare Office. She was not willing to help this boy because he was always causing trouble. My colleague and I skipped the red tape and found an Arabic speaking children's psychologist who was willing to help the boy. I would drive him to his appointments. We only need approval from his designated guardian and she refused to let us get help.She said it wasn't necessary and there were many others who needed help and they didn't cause trouble.Our Headmaster tried his best to get the doctor's help but he couldn't do anything without the guardians signature. It is so sad that so much energy, from my colleagues and friends and myself, was put in to trying to help this unattended minor to achieve nothing. It is so frustrating to be dependent upon overwhelmed employees at the "Jugendamt", Youth Welfare Service, who have so many children to observe that they don't really have time for the individuals.

I spent a lot of time and patience with him to help him feel welcome at school. He called me "mom". But, because he turned 16 he is now at a vocational school where there are so many students that the teachers do not have the time for him. He still hasn't received psychological help.

Carmela, Sicily

mrscarmela — 2017-05-08 20:08:05 UTC

Most of the newly arrived migrant students I have dealt with in these years were surely traumatized. None of them has ever been willing to talk about their experiences, reasons for fleeing their home, feelings on arrival in the new country. As a teacher of English in middle school I have no specific competence to face these situations. In the past my school could count on social workers for students with psychological problems. Students would undergo group therapy or family therapy or simply have talks with the school psychologist. Nowadays, due to the economic crisis Sicily is undergoing, local authorities have lost the financial resources to keep this kind of social service going on and teachers are literally left alone.

Betty-Greece

2017-05-08 21:46:28 UTC

It is very important to feel safe and secure. This is not only for newly arrive migrants but for all students. And of cource each teacher is not responsible to solve all the problems but is very important to know how social workers or psychologist can help in any situation in order to help children and families also. The techers should be "a big mother/father" as also a "mentor" for the students.

Ana, Portugal

acfilipe36 — 2017-05-08 22:31:06 UTC

Taking advantage of the knowledge of the immigrant student and relating it to curricular content also favors integration. "A refugee student is a living piece of contemporary history. At the appropriate time, he can tell about the situations he has lived and be a window of knowledge for the class," suggests Maria Elena. This stance helps to go beyond exploring the cultural stereotypes of foreigners - usually, they are remembered only at parties and performances of dances and typical foods. However, care must be taken not to expose the children or treat them as an exotic curiosity, interrupting the class at any moment so that they tell how something works in the home country.

Yuri,

yurisab — 2017-05-09 07:04:21 UTC

The integration is not simple from a social and scholastic point od view. There are a few and unefficent resources and the teachers have to their best use them. Games are always good for the integration of children.

Chiara, Rome

carusochiara — 2017-05-09 07:30:43 UTC

It’s sure that at the beginning migrant sudents feel scared and really uncomfortable. As we analysed in Module 1, it is difficult even ask for simple requests.
Once I had an Egyptian student just arrived in my class and he was so shy that he could not pronounce his name! All my collegues and me spent a whole school year working on his integration. We tried to start creating a welcoming environment at school and then with his family.
The support of the psychologist with the student and his family was also needed and important.

Pina Italy

2017-05-09 08:33:00 UTC

Surely it is not our job because in most cases there have been very traumatic experiences. Our job is to welcome them and convey their serenity they are in.

Gergana Vladimirova- Bulgaria

usmihnatodestvo — 2017-05-09 09:56:58 UTC

If it is difficult to work with someone who does not know or does not want to speak in a language that is not understood in school. I think this is where you have to talk first to relatives or friends of the migrant, to know what really happens, to make psychological tests, to do therapies with a specialist. The only thing that can be done in the classroom is to respect the student, to support him in every positive step, to be kind.

Angeliki Kougiourouki, Greece

2017-05-09 15:23:31 UTC

As Nora and Erika pointed out in the videos it is important for us, teachers, to know where to ask for help when we experience ourselves with newly arrived migrant students. Schools on the other hand as well as teachers should be prepared for this and have the necessary contacts to create a safe network of people to work with and support specific needs that newly arrived students have

Lien Belgium

lien_bossuyt — 2017-05-09 17:33:43 UTC

I work in a school for children with special needs. For creating a relaxed atmosphere in the classroom, I like to start with a Brain Gym activity... When the body is relaxed, the brain and mental spirit of the children also relaxes... In our school there are always psychologists, so when a child gets a crisis in the classroom, we can call the psychologists.

Daniele - Italy

danvir — 2017-05-09 17:47:37 UTC

Did you experience yourself that your newly arrive migrant students had difficulties you struggled helping them with? Would you know where to find help for them or is that difficult to organize in your school/country?
I have not refugee students in my school, but I imagine that integration would be at all really difficult.
I think that the linguistic barrier is one of the main problem and our school has not resources to grant an extra-course for non-Italian speakers. We should be prepared to such evenience and also we should have the addressess of medical experts and social assistance. I also think that we do need the costant presence of a psychologist in our schools. This is strongly necessary for refugee, but s/he would really helps also us teachers and the students in our daily life.

Maura, Italy

mauraccia — 2017-05-09 19:54:54 UTC

I find the point about beauty and nature essential... And we have to let things go and don't be in a hurry: I usually do respiration exercises, as a routine, but there are still children that find it impossible to really relax (and just close their eyes: they're afraid of losing control over the situation). I agree with Carmela: by comparison with some years ago, it's now more difficult to get an effective Psycological support, at least from the public service, but I'm planning on building some sort of cooperation with a volunteer association of my village, composed by professionals who, during their holidays, work in the hot areas around the world, in refugees camps, for instance, to help traumatized children and support and form teachers who have to deal with them . I find even the point about planning a future very important, because even regular children nowadays are often really concerned about their immediate future, often related to small needs or desires, and opening a window on a wider orizon, on which to invest, seems a wonderful idea to me

Vanesa

2017-05-10 08:45:10 UTC

Patrizia Italy

2017-05-10 09:13:20 UTC

Grazy.Italy

2017-05-10 10:03:44 UTC

In my school there aren't psychologists but we can say to the headmaster that a refugees students have a trauma or any other problems and need a psychological consultation. As teacher I have to create and to assure a climate of integration, collaboration, sensibility in front of refugees students.

Pietro-Italy

pierolauro — 2017-05-10 11:00:22 UTC

Having to work with students coming from other countries I have experencied some problems at the beginning. As a teacher when I found myself dealing with some students migrating from Romania I had the problem to interact with them to fully integrate them in the classes where Italian was spoken. Fortunately the organisation my school collaborate with 'Migrantes Liberi' has interpreters and psychological aid for the newcomers so they made us easier to make them feel happy and welcome in regular classes. All the Italian students felt a great empathy towards them which made my task as a teacher easier and highly motivating. Anyway the school management is always there ready to face the newly arrived students problems and is always willing to lend a helping hand when it is necessary.

Rosa L. - Italy

2017-05-10 19:01:06 UTC

I have never had traumatised new arrived students, they always had a family to support them. But if I should face this situation I would talk about it with my colleagues and I would suggest to my students’ families some organizations to be helped.

Nalan, Turkey M2. 3

eney — 2017-05-11 05:31:08 UTC

5years ago my student'family and 30 other families used to stay in a 2storey house sleeping alltogether. Volunteer charities helped the have individual house, Jobs for men, clothes and other things they needed and now they laf a more decent life that every humanbeing must do

Valentina - Italy

valebell80 — 2017-05-11 09:04:17 UTC

I’ve never work with traumatised new arrived children but I think that teacher have always to prepare a no violent atmosphere in the classroom. Children have to know they are safe and secure.

I often use breathing excercise to calm dowun my pupils (For example, they must swell like a balloon and then deflate quickly, or have to smell a flower before and then turn off an imaginary candle, or they are like a wet dog that moves quickly to dry). They usually have fun but at the same time they calm down and breathe

Paola Arduini, Italy

paolarduini — 2017-05-11 09:10:23 UTC

In Italy there is a supportive law for Special didactic support addressed to kids with specific learning disorder but also to children who are in a NON permanent special need situation as migrants, bilingual, refugees.

Cinzia, Italy

2017-05-11 10:40:56 UTC

As I'm quite new in this job, I cannot report any experience with migrat students unfortunately but I will certainly use the ideas and suggestions from this course if necessary.

Rossana Italy

rossaco — 2017-05-11 13:45:52 UTC

I just wonder where does Pietro work. There aren't migrants children in my school but for the newly arrived foreign students all we've got are a couple of hours per week of tutoring in Italian

Rosanna B, Italy

ros_basso — 2017-05-11 15:19:11 UTC

Foreigner students that do not speak Italian are considered educational special needs students. Our program plans try to help them with specific objectives. My school organizes courses of Italian language and thanks to a project this year a psychologist supports them.

Veronica, Belgium

2017-05-11 15:20:34 UTC

My school is situated in a rural area, quite far from the main cities. The phenomenon of migration and refugies is not very known. But I believe that a strong supportnet is missing. I think a more clear organisation (at social and psychological level) is needed

Helen

elenistat — 2017-05-11 15:36:00 UTC

The only problem arrised in my classroom was the language. One of the two girls could not speak neither of the two laguages spoken in the school. But with her sister's help she now speask more every day.

Serena A. - Ital

dolcefollia79 — 2017-05-11 16:09:17 UTC

In my school there aren't refugee students but I think that integration would be really difficult. I think that linguistic barrier is the main problem in my school.

Silvia, Ital

2017-05-11 17:03:18 UTC

I think that responsability of every teachears is make every pupils, not just the newcomers, appreciated,wellcome and safe

Chiara, Italy

chiara_semplicini — 2017-05-12 05:48:01 UTC

In my school not all foreign students show a positive attitude. This is especially the case of ss who do not speak Italian. In most cases they tend to isolate and also show oppositive and negative attitudes during my lessons (Italian as a second language). Although my ss are not refugee, I think they suffer from living in a new country with a different culture and languageI. Language (and cultureis the highest barrier, definitely.

Monica, Italy

moni_fornelli — 2017-05-12 08:15:13 UTC

These students have lived through very difficult or even traumatic situations back in their home country or during their journey so have specific needs. For these reasons our school planned a project to support youngers at first from a psychological view point and then from a linguistic viewpoint. We want they feel comfortable and could find a friendly atmosphere in our school.

Peppe, Sicily

pref_mara — 2017-05-12 10:51:13 UTC

For the integration of newly arrived migrant students and refugees, the teaching of the national language as a foreign language and the provision of mother tongue teachers is indispensable in schools. Then, fundamental is the availability of appropriate psychological, social and educational support to children and young refugees traumatized, andthe introduction of procedures for the recognition of competences and qualifications obtained in the countries of origin.

Roberta, Turin

condomittir — 2017-05-12 13:02:19 UTC

Foreign students are like the other students as they need attention and to live in a loving climate.
Empathy, respect, and sharing are the tools with which to make the class a group capable of sustaining each other and being the strength of each other.

Cristina, Sicily.

c_mangiagli69 — 2017-05-12 13:38:43 UTC

Dear Carmela. You are right. In the past teachers were supported by psicologyst, therapist, translators. Now we aren't. In my school there are few refugies and some immigrants from different parts of the world. Most teachers have in their classrooms people come from different countries, but they don't have any competence and any skill to face their needs. I suggest that teachers such us, that spend our time in attending course like this, must be advantaged than others. And must stay in contact now and in future, deal with the situations that we are talking about.

Scafati Miriam, Italy

ospedale — 2017-05-12 17:57:54 UTC

In my hospital school there are few refugies and many immigrants. Refugies haven't their family but only member of associations. All have serious health problems.

Solange Delicado, Portugal

sdelicado — 2017-05-12 22:14:42 UTC

As I said before, we don’t have any newly migrant student in my school, but we’ve had some students from other European countries and from China. And the first thing we’ve done was to provide these children some tutorial programms in order to improve their communication skills in Portuguese language. I agree both with Nora and Erika when they say it’s importante for us teachers to have a network of contact to help us in the support of the needs of our students. In Portugal we have the PAR – the Refugee Support Platform is a portuguese network of organizations from civil society whose aim is to support hosting refugees during the current humanitarian crisis.

Βασιλική,Greece

vasikriko — 2017-05-13 06:15:40 UTC

Here in Greece, there are many migrant organizations that are staffed from psychologies, social workers, translators,etc and could offer their help.

Ekaterini, Poland

katerinaki62 — 2017-05-13 08:06:10 UTC

I do not have much experience with refugees but only with migrants of economic background. However kids are kids and they also have some adaptation problem although I agree they are not so much traumatised as the refugees.
The main thing is to create the friendly environment all the migrants would like to come back to every day. In order to do that the students must feel needed and preferably must play any role at school so the cannot develop a sense of redundancy. So the more tasks they will have to perform, the faster they understand they are treated as everyone else, which will allow them to feel part of the community and first of all, focus on the way to complete the assignment rather than on digging in their bitter past.

Valbona,Albania

valbona_mata2 — 2017-05-13 11:53:42 UTC

They bring their lifestyle ,the consequences of a difficult traveling ,their difficult life .Sometimes they do not involve with others and choose to be silent. A good way to resolve this it will be the collaboration between the teacher and physicological and also the activities .

Angeliki, Greece-Thessaloniki

antzela12345 — 2017-05-13 13:11:16 UTC

I totally agree with Nora and Erica, too. However I have not experienced difficulties that brought me in a strange position to cope with them. I believe that teachers are not qualified enough to even decode some problematic behaviours of the refugee students which have to do with traumatic experiences. For example a child that pushes to the front of the lunch line, probably has a feeling of food insecurity. For this reason I think that teachers should always be informed and educated in such issues like traumatic attitudes. Of course they should address to specialists when it is necessary. Here is a very useful link with guidance for teachers and educators :
http://nctsn.org/trauma-types/refugee-trauma/guidance-teachers

María, Spain

isasama10 — 2017-05-13 20:48:49 UTC

I told you the story of an African student I had some years ago in my school. He had difficulties in all basic areas of life, starting with language an finishing with school . The whole community decided to help. Firstly, teachers and students, the school psychologist,the headmaster, the parents association, the rest of the school staff and local social services helped him learning the basics of hygiene, calm down, feel safe and comfortable at school, walk instead of run, stay quiet in the classroom, think, learn and even have fun and enjoy life.

Andreea, Sweden

2017-05-14 12:02:04 UTC

I had a student last year who came from Romania with poor knowledge and skills. He could not read fluently in Romanian even if he was in the fourth grade so it was difficult for him to learn Swedish and to communicate with his colleagues. That’s why he got involved in misunderstandings and complicated situations. I found out that he got involved in a conflict so I took him to the principal so we could discuss the situation. I was playing the translator role so I could facilitate the conversation between the school principal and the pupil. The principal took attitude, invited the other pupils for discussion and after everything was clear the principal called the psychologist to talk with my pupil. Regarding pupil’s learning difficulties, the school has decided for him to receive study guidance on his mother tongue 3 hours per week, he received support from special pedagogue and received differentiate teaching.

Maria Intrieri, Italy

mri5 — 2017-05-14 12:51:26 UTC

This year, among the foreign students of my classes, there is a guy who has come a few months from China. I've already been able to mention his story in some previous comments. His family has been in Italy for several years and has a shop. He had stayed with some relatives in China, but it seems that there he wasn’t a good student.. So the parents brought him to Rome hoping the situation would improve. My relationship with him is very difficult: he has an opposing attitude, he makes understand not to understandany about the Italian language, but my impression and that of his comrades is also different. Sometimes he tried to escape from school and I guess you understand what the danger may be. At the moment the headmaster has welcomed him as a simple reader for 2 hours a day, but I am afraid the strategies in place are inadequate. I would know who and where to turn to get help, but the management's organization at the moment does not allow ...

Guen, Turin

guendalinah — 2017-05-14 14:08:15 UTC

This video is very interesting. I agree when she says to not ask kids their stories because it's like bringing back the past. As a teacher I agree and think that we have to build the future with beauty.

Nora, Italy

noraroxane — 2017-05-14 16:31:01 UTC

I've already said that in my school there aren't many foreign students. So I have not experience but I totally agree with Angeliki: often the teachers aren't able to treat young people with traumatic experience.

Newly arrived migrant students in the classroom

zetakoli — 2017-05-14 22:31:13 UTC

2.3 Supporting specific needs of newly arrived migrant students
Zoi, Greece

Most problems I found to have to do with the psychology of parents and child. They had specific needs for clothing and toys. With the support of the parents' association, the parents received some necessary goods as a gift. Ι informed the girl's parents for medical vaccines and the hospital they could be addressed.

Anna, Italy

2017-05-15 04:16:45 UTC

The video is interesting. I think what Angeliki says is right: Teachers have lots of difficulties when they have students who have had traumatic experiences

Isabel, Portugal

2017-05-15 08:28:41 UTC

I've already said that in my school there aren't foreign students. So I have not experience but I totally agree with Angeliki: often the teachers aren't able to treat young people with traumatic experience.

Dr Raimo Salo, Finland

2017-05-15 08:29:17 UTC

Teachers need to know the limit of their work which is to support students' learning. They must know that they cannot act as social workers or other professionals which they are not. In Finland the problem is that there are so few school psychologists compared to the existing need.

Clara, Italy

clarag — 2017-05-15 09:09:08 UTC

In my former school we had the possibility to interact whenever needed with linguistic mediators. In my school today, we lose a lot of time in case we need experts. The only specialist present, which is not a teacher, is the school psychologist. Moreover, in Northern Italy it is very difficult for people to accept migrants and, unfortunately this feeling is very strong always in schools.

Francesco Coppola

fscocoppola — 2017-05-15 11:33:16 UTC

In my school it is easy to find language support for newly arrived pupils, it is more difficult to help pupils to have new friends due to economic and social discrimination.

Linda Carlos Ruiz, Finland

2017-05-15 14:10:22 UTC

I think the most important thing for me to do as a teacher of migrants and refugees, apart from making the students feel welcome and safe, is to give them some structure in their day, in their life, as many don't have that. Structures and rules also make them feel safe. I disagree with Raimo Salo from Finland on his view of teachers not acting as social workers and psychologists. Of course there are professionals who do these jobs. However, all situations and students are different and being a teacher is not only about passing on information, it's about seeing the student as a whole human beeing and listening to him / her and accepting them as a person. Last year I had a student, 16 year old refugee, who refused to talk to any psychologists although everyone tried to make him do that. He'd talk to me because he felt I was the only one who had shown to really care and listen.

Dr Raimo Salo, Finland

2017-05-15 15:22:17 UTC

To reply to Ms Ruiz as she does not share my view about limiting teachers' role to the scope of teaching:
My point is that teachers should focus their input into education and not act as psychologists since they are not educated and qualified to do that kind of demanding work. In the worst case they might make the situation even worse. This is also recommended by pros working with refugees. Also, my point is to make it clear that teachers prevent themeselves from burn-out which may happen in case they take too much resoponsibility aside from their work as teachers.
Naturally, if migrant students start to share their lives with teachers, it is ok - as it is the same thing as with any other student - regardless of their background. As long as the initiative comes from a student. Caring and listening does not equal to and is not limited to psychologist's profession only.

ROSA MEDEIROS, PORTUGAL

rosa_medeiros1 — 2017-05-15 16:10:07 UTC

I have not experience about newaly migrant students but I´m totally agree with Angeliki about the dificult the teachers a to treat young people with traumatic experience. It's necessary work group (psychologists, social workers, parents ...)

Sar

sara_viotti — 2017-05-15 17:15:49 UTC

Sara Viotti, Italy

sara_viotti — 2017-05-15 17:17:50 UTC

Erika explains some techniques that are useful just in case a kid shows himself nervous or aggressive. However, I think that should be a psychologist to train him to use them. We, the teachers, are unpreparared to support kids who have big problems. I agree with Dr Raimo Salo in considering that a teacher should affect a kid trying to help him. I knew a girl who had suffered a trauma, about which ìt is difficult for me to talk. So was for her,much more because she was the main character of her own thragedy. She had never said a single word , every teacher considered her a little silly girl, when another girl received a confidence. She was having a bad period in family and her mother thought to sell her to many men...Every teacher in the school had a chock: we had played with a young, destroyed life....after discovering the truth, the head of the school kept in touch with the social workers and she went to live in a shelter house. Ìt was a terribile choice to take.

Angela, Italy

2017-05-15 20:27:13 UTC

In my country, immigrants are assisted by the Church by the Church by local organizations.

Claudia Renda, Italy

2017-05-15 21:15:47 UTC

In my school is simple for new students find support Linguistic, but

Paola, Italy

paolcro — 2017-05-16 05:42:49 UTC

I have never had experience with new migrants arriving in Italy, but I totally agree with what the two videos say. In my school there is a psychological door. Normally, linguistic mediators are used, but sometimes the times are too long and then the teacher enters the school entrance postponing the meeting with the mediator. If parents know Italian they meet right away. Sometimes, if there is a boy speaking in the same language at school, this is a tutor to the newcomer. In addition, there are some teachers who carry out the literacy project.

Petrina Albania

vilifeliksi — 2017-05-16 11:29:36 UTC

In our school, we support students of this target group, supporting their immediate needs to get involved in their companions. This collaboration was realized in support of the steering staff and the school psychologist.

Livia, Italy

2017-05-16 13:15:04 UTC

Our newly arrived migrant students are supported by teachers and by specific organizations.

Ida,Italy

2017-05-16 15:49:23 UTC

Students are supported by teachers and by the church.

Eleni, Switzerland

eleni_mousena — 2017-05-17 08:45:48 UTC

I totally agree with Erika and Nora that teachers should know their boundaries of ability and responsibility as far as traumatised migrant students are concerned. It is not the teacher's job to deal with these students' issues but there must be some psychologists and social workers in schools. I haven't experieced any difficult situation so far but I would definitely ask for help from a specialists. Here is a useful link to support centers for migrants in Switzerland:
http://www.pluriels.ch/documentation/liens-utiles

Moschoula, Hellas

mcdouris — 2017-05-17 16:07:37 UTC

Unfortunately the educational system here in Greece, does not offer the support of a psychologist or sociologist in the school. There are places we can refer our students but they are not always available, at the time they are needed, due to work overload.
In the Solidarity Network I am though, I have a lot of support for my work and for all my students in both educational environments.

Annalisa, Italy

2017-05-17 16:29:08 UTC

I have never had immigrants in my classroom. I find useful the second video for my future because Erika give some pratical advice. In my country immigrants are supported mainly by specific organization and by the church.

Arvin, Italy

2017-05-17 17:38:07 UTC

Some of my worst memories are associated to my teachers in primary school.
I was a newly arrived migrant and I was criticised and scolded for not understanding things that they thought anyone could understand, without even considering my linguistic barrier and cultural aphasia. What is worst, the other pupils had them as models, and thus learned from them that if a newly arrived migrant doesn't understand something it must be because he/she is stupid, not because he/she has specific needs that need to be addressed.
Long story short, I began my whole life in Italy feeling stupid and left alone.
On my part, what I can recommend to teachers is to be curious about your students' problems: the necessary step to help someone is understanding them, deeply.

Ourania, Greece

ranialampou — 2017-05-17 18:02:53 UTC

Students are supported by a good educational policy and new pedagogical orientations

A. Gallina

scrocchia67 — 2017-05-17 20:14:20 UTC

2.3 Supporting specific needs

After a brief and fast reading of my colleagues' impressions on this aspect of the discussion, it's easy to understand that in Italy teachers are very often left alone in the classrooms with students. Iy could be advisable to have a psychologist to refer to in the schools as we are not ready to deal with complex issues as traumas, post war stress and so on. Even if we are willing to learn and welcome eveerybody in the classrooms, we can't succeed using our didactics only, a good support to our work is absolutely necessary!

Vani (Fot.-Vass.), Greece

2017-05-19 17:02:32 UTC

The most difficult thing is language. They can’t speak the local language, so it’s difficult to grasp what is taught, to understand questions and answer them, to participate in discussions, to make friends, to express feelings and to protect themselves when they feel threatened. However, the Ministry in my country does not provide mediators, so educators have to struggle with this problem all by themselves.

Victoria, Greece

victvoud — 2017-05-21 12:48:47 UTC

My migrant pupils are very well integrated because they have been in Greece and into the Greek Education system since they were born. However, I would imagine that if a large number of refugee or migrant were to attend classes at Greek schools, the government should account for mediators and special pedagogists who would come in frequent contact with volunteer experienced teachers about the issue.

Graziella, Italy

2017-05-21 17:12:21 UTC

The newly arrived migrant students have specific needs having experienced difficult and traumatic experiences in their country of origin. We teachers are often left alone with the challenging task of addressing these complex prblems. Support for external support for new migrant students would be needed and helpful in the school environment.

Fotis, Greece

FOTIOSPONTIKAKIS — 2017-05-23 14:58:48 UTC

Having worked in the past with newly arrived migrants and refugees, I think the most important thing is the language. Teaching them the language of the country where they have come is very important, because it gives them the chance to communicate and be integrated.
We should know our boundaries, but, unfortunately, in Greek schools there are no psychologists and social workers now (there had been in the past when there were many migrants and refugees from Eastern European and Balkan countries after the regimes changed there).
But there are solidarity groups and NGOs, covering the absence of the state policy in this field.

G.Keserci

2018-10-13 20:35:09 UTC

Students are supported by teachers

Derya Özcan Özalan

alkas_ocalan — 2020-07-05 15:40:52 UTC

Unfortunately, these students have experienced lots of tramvas so we must try to adapt them to the language first. If they speak the language they live in , they feel more secure.