Dr Lin Armstrong, University of Coventry, England, UK.

Educating Fatima and her Sisters: A Reflective Account

This presentation is a reflective account of my experience in teaching a group of female asylum seekers and refugees in a city in the Midlands, England, United Kingdom. The city, said to be the second most welcoming city to refugees (apart from London) in the UK, is now home to thousands of refugees, as part of a government resettlement scheme. The sessions, part of a charity project, were open to 50 women living in the community, and I had specific responsibility for managing an additional 20 women who lived in a refuge, herein referred to as Hollybush, for mothers and babies under one year old, some of whom have been waiting as long as 8 years for the ‘right to remain’. These women originally travelled from as many as 33 different countries including Syria and Albania. The sessions took place in a local church at first and then, the 20 from Hollybush went on-line using ‘zoom’, due to the pandemic. They aimed to give the women a chance to use their English language and to learn about early years and working with children, which, in turn would maximise their inclusion and participation in the locality. Challenges included access to technology, the women’s lack of childcare and their very busy lives. Albeit, 33 languages were spoken, each session was translated by the women between themselves in the group. The inclusive approach positively affected the women’s lives by facilitating ‘voice’, self -advocacy, IT skills and ensuring softer skills were developed in a secure environment. This reflective account explains who took part in the different modules, the modules themselves, and the impact that they thought the sessions had on their lives. It specifically focuses on barriers to inclusive education and the rewards of being a part of a study group. It concludes that all refugees and asylum-seeking women should have access to an inclusive education that suits their ability and aspirations.