Approaches to Language in Education for Migrants and Refugees in the Asia-Pacific Region

 UNESCO Bangkok commissioned this paper to examine strategies for addressing the needs of refugee, migrant and internally displaced children in the Asia-Pacific region. This document aims to create a stronger knowledge base to support Member States as they formulate education policies that are responsive to the needs of such children.

This document aims to:

• Examine how linguistic diversity and human mobility intersect and impact minority, migrant and refugee children’s access to quality, inclusive education
• Link policy priorities to promising practices, based on international frameworks and lessons learned from successful programmes
• Recommend steps for improving language-in-education policies and their implementation.

To do this, this paper examines:

• Global and regional trends in migration
• The impact of migration on children’s education
• Linguistic diversity and its implications for language-in-education policies and practices
• Research and resources that support inclusive quality education for migrant and refugee children.