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• On this page you will introduce yourself to the other groups/classes in your Learning Circle and post your challenge contributions. 
  
• We ask you to share not only the results, but also the learning process of how you discussed, planned, divided tasks etc..in your own group. 

 

Giving and receiving feedback:

 

• On this page you will also find text boxes for feedback received from other groups in your Circles.
• We ask you to give feedback to two other groups / classes in your Circle directly on their school page.
  Please click here for the feedback-schedule , it will guide you to the school pages.
• If you want to give feedback to another (additional, extra) group, please add it on the school page of that group or use the comment box at the bottom of the school page.

 

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Introduction:

 

Global Teenager Project: Introductions and Rights of the Child

University of Toronto Schools 

 

Class Photo Available:

https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=92a20f3931&view=att&th=1530a88620252745&attid=0.1&disp=safe&realattid=1526905560412192768-local0&zw  

 

Class teacher: Marc Brims

 

Hello my name is Marc Brims and I am a Canadian and World Studies Teacher. After living abroad for the past 10 years (Korea, UK, Malaysia) I have repatriated to teach and learn in Canada. It is great to be back home, and even more wonderful that our class can collaborate with students from across the world in a connected learning environment such as this. I look forward to seeing how this learning experience unfolds and develops in the coming months.

 

The rights of the child are precious to me. As a father of 2 children, I feel that these rights are a precursor to all other human rights. Indeed, it is very difficult for one to fully develop and grow into a productive and contributive community member if their rights are not protected from a young age. Throughout my travels I have seen first hand that children’s basic rights are not always respected or protected, and this needs to change if we are to realize the vision of living in an interconnected, sustainable and harmonious world.

 

Danielle Zhuo

 

Hi! My name is Danielle Zhuo and I am an Asian-Canadian and World Issues student. I’m currently in grade 11 and the reason why I took the course is because I am quite interested in building upon my knowledge of world/current issues. I also have a heavy passion/obsession for fashion, EDM or anything with a beat that I can have fun with, and trying out new hobbies/activities (this includes travel)! Fun fact: I also drink bubble tea every single day. I’m really excited for this, as I think it will be a really interesting learning experience where I can hear about the different point of views and experiences from all around the globe. I’m currently interested in pursuing commerce going into university, but I’m still trying to seek other options in case business is not the right fit for me. However, In terms of children’s rights, I don’t know much as my exposure to the topic is pretty limited. However, as someone who (I guess) is still considered a child, learning about children’s rights (or the lack thereof), makes me feel as if I should be doing something as someone in a comparatively privileged situation. Children’s rights to me are important because most of these kids are at the age where receiving support in order to develop and grow is imperative to making a positive change for their future. From this Global Teenager Project, I hope to learn more about the topic, and hopefully by the end, create difference.

 

Sharon Low

Hey! My name is Sharon Low and I am an Asian-Canadian and world Issues student attending UTS as well. I’m currently in grade 11 as well :) I have a 7 year old bichon frese and poodle mix, and he’s super cute. I love watching hip hop and kpop dance videos, playing ball (basketball, cause #ballislyfe). Also, any type of music in general with a beat is something I enjoy (EDM, house music, that sort of music). I was born in Singapore, but I left when I was 3 years old, where i moved to Hong Kong. I also stayed in Ipoh, Malaysia in 2 different 6 month periods. I moved to Toronto when I was 7 years old, and I will hopefully continue to stay here. I love travelling everywhere, because I want to try new types of food. The foods I particularly enjoy are taro ice cream, deep fried mochi, bubble tea, and just about any food which is not too gooey or slug like (I hate sea cucumber).

 

I became interested in taking world issues because of the amazing Asian Geography course which I was part of last year. I’m super excited to be part of the Global Teenager Project because I see myself pursuing a career with Doctors Without Borders, and I feel like we have much to learn from one another, whether that be about our lifestyle, our education system, or even the food that we eat! Children’s rights are essential to the proper function of society, especially because children are the future of our world as a whole. If they cannot receive the proper healthcare and education, we as a human race will not be able to move forward.

 

Armin Safavi

Hello, I’m Armin and I’m a grade 11 student at UTS. World Issues is probably my favorite course, but I hand in most of my assignments late. I love rock music, travelling and football (yes, the european kind). I also have a really nice beard and am addicted to coffee! Anyways, I’m not sure what I want to study or where, but I know that whatever I end up doing will have to allow me to travel all over the world (although if I’m being honest my dream job is to start a successful band). I’m pretty into Speech and Debate, so maybe I’ll do something that involves speaking as well.

 

I’m really excited about the Global Teenager Project. It might be a cliche, but children are the future. In this sense, children’s rights are not just important safeguards of human dignity, but for our collective future as well. Whether affected by discrimination, poverty, disease, lack of education, armed conflict or some combination of them, children are the world’s most valuable asset and must be protected at all costs. Who better than youth to lead the way in the pursuit of children’s rights?

 

Michelle Lam

 

Hi, my name is Michelle Lam and I am a grade 11 world issues student. I really like math, Tetris, and cheap jelly beans. I think courses like world issues are really interesting, and I’m looking forward to hearing different opinions from all over the world. I’m planning on going into math in university, but I think it’s definitely important to be knowledgeable about what’s going on in the world no matter what I end up studying.

 

Although I don’t really know a lot about children’s rights, I definitely agree that their rights are extremely important and should be protected. Children are among the most vulnerable members of society, and as such need protection. They are dependent on others for care and protection. I hope this experience will allow me to deepen my knowledge on children’s rights, how these rights can be protected, and what we as students can do to make a difference.

 

Cindy Gao

 

Hey, my name is Cindy Gao and I’m a grade 11 world issues student at UTS. I fence competitively and this gives me many opportunities to explore different countries in the world. I am fascinated by the different cultures everywhere and these experiences really allow me to realize that not everyone has the basic rights that I take advantage of. I think it is still hard for me to imagine what it is like for the underprivileged since I am still extremely sheltered, but I am hoping that this project can help me become more informed. I think that children’s rights are extremely important because children are vulnerable and abuses prevent them from developing and reaching their full potential. Children are the future and in order for us to achieve a sustainable and happy world community, the protection of children’s rights is crucial. I think that having this opportunity to connect with other students from across the world is amazing and I am eager to learn more about children’s rights and what we can do to make a difference.

 

Selene Chen

 

Hi! My name is Selene and I am a grade 11 Asian-Canadian world issues student! I like science, world issues, watching tv and travelling! The three loves of my life are dogs, stationary, and bubble tea. I would love to spend a couple years backpacking around the world in the future, but I think my parents would kill me first. I am really interested in becoming a Forensic Psychiatrist in the future, but I also really want to work with Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors without Borders. I think I am extremely privileged to be living as I am right now, and one of the reasons I want to work with this organization is to help others who are not as fortunate as I am. Many of the patients who seek out Doctors without Borders are small children, something that I find unfortunate. In these regions of conflict, and everywhere else in the world, children’s rights need to be protected. I am really interested in learning about different global opinions, and look forward to being a part of the Global Teenager Project!

 

Alexandra Taylor

 

Hey, I’m Alexandra, and I’m a student in Mr. Brims’ World Issues class. I love skiing, art history, and political philosophy. I also really like indie-rock music. I love cities and city life, and I think that the future of our global society exists in cities. I’m really passionate about human rights and freedoms, and I want to work as a peacekeeper for the UN one day, promoting human rights around the world. I volunteer with Amnesty International, where I focus on ensuring that big companies take responsibility for their impact on our world, from environmental clean-ups to equal and equitable treatment in the workplace.

 

I want to study international relations and pursue a career in international law, which means that the rights of the child are super important to me. As a children’s ski instructor, I get to hang out with kids of all ages, and I’ve grown to love their ingenuity and spirit. Beyond this, I believe that all children deserve to grow up feeling happy and secure, as well as with access to a good education. That is why I’m so excited for this project; we will be able to learn about education all over the world. One of the rights of the child is to know your rights, and I think that this is an important detail. Children are one of the most vulnerable groups of people, but knowing your rights as a child can ensure that you are treated fairly.

 

Jean Kim

 

Hi, I’m Jean Kim and I’m a grade 11 student taking World Issues at UTS. My passions are dance, reading, and writing. I’d really like to be a journalist or author in the future, anything in the field of literature. When I graduate from undergrad, I plan to spend a year travel-writing. Among dancing four times a week, living two hours from school, school work, and volunteering, I rarely have time to think about anything outside of my world. Recently, I went to Peru to volunteer in Manchay, teaching kids and providing general healthcare to the public. This has inspired me to advocate for human rights, specifically the rights of a child.

 

In an ideal world, everyone would be born into a safe environment, with access to education and healthcare. Every child would have someone to support them, and everyone would have opportunities to grow and make a difference. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. I believe, as my duty as one of the lucky children who were born into such environments, I should take advantage of these privileges to help those who don’t have them. It’s not also easy to make a difference, so I’m looking forward to being part of the Global Teenager Project, where collaboration can lead to progress!

 

Julia Pei

Hi!  I’m Julia Pei and I’m a grade 11 world issues student.  My passions in life are Netflix, dogs, travel and food.  I enjoy the sciences and hope to study biology in university.  Ideally, I would really like to be a doctor in the future, as I really want to be able to help people.

 

The rights of children are incredibly important to me and I believe that all children (and people in general) deserve fundamental human rights.  I also believe that it is incredibly important that all children have a chance to get educated, as it is one of the most important ways to break the cycle of poverty.  As students, I believe it is essential that we are aware of the inequality existing around the world and work to improve it. 

 

Mia Sanders

 

Hey I’m Mia and I’m a Grade 12 student in Mr. Brim’s world issues class :) I care very much about social justice and equity, and believe strongly in the power of empathy-building to create positive social change. Along those lines, I founded an organization called ActOut whose mandate is to bring global issues to life in the classroom through experiential learning. Our goal is to bridge the empathetic disconnect between students in Canada and people experiencing oppression and impoverishment world-wide. We achieve this through student-produced and student-led simulations (“sims”) that tell narratives surrounding a diversity of global social justice issues, from sweatshop labour in India, to LGBTQ rights in Russia, to maternal health in Somalia. As someone under the age of 18 who has the privilege of living under conditions of safety and prosperity, I am incredibly grateful that my rights to survival, development, protection and participation are respected, and thus recognize their universal importance. I’m really looking forward to enriching my knowledge and broadening my perspectives through the Global Teenager Project!

 

Neda Pirouzmand

Hola my name is Neda and I’m a Grade 12 student at UTS. I decided to take world issues this year because I was looking for a fresh perspective on the world we live in. Taking a humanities course this year was really important for me because I knew it would help balance the science and math focused courses that I take. My hope is to go to medical school for grad, but simultaneously I hope that I can continue exploring world issues and other subjects such as business. To me, research and innovation ties all these subjects together which is why I think that it’s important to keep those two concepts in mind when tackling world issues. Outside of all of this I’m an avid foodie and just like having a good time.

 

In terms of children’s rights and world issues I think exposure is one of the most important things we can do as students to learn more. I don’t think we can truly understand how important protecting children’s rights are until we are exposed to violations of this. I hope that this global teenager project will help me with that!

 

Roksana Piaskoski

Hi, I'm Roksana. Like the song "Roxanne" by the Police except spelt differently and with an "a" at the end. I'm a Grade 11 World Issues Student. My favourite things are probably superhero TV, reading/writing, and criticizing dresses on Say Yes to the Dress. I took this class to learn more about the issues in the world, because I really didn't know that much. I really don't know what I want to do when I'm older (I'm not good at making decisions), but I do know that I want to study abroad and travel.

When I look at the world, I can really see how privileged I am. It’s not fair that while I got to go to school (and complain about it), play on monkey bars and not really worry about anything, other children had to, and still have to go get water, miss school, and much more. Children will be the main players in the future, so it’s really important to focus on improving their rights all around the world.

 

Nuala Burnham

Hi! My name is Nuala (or Noohala, depending on who you talk to) Burnham, and I'm also currently in grade 11 at UTS. I was born in Vancouver, but I've lived in Toronto for pretty much my whole life. I have a really big extended family that is spread out across several countries, which gives me a great excuse to see new places. I'd love to be able to travel more in the future, and learn more about life in different countries, which is partly why I chose to take this World Issues course this year. I also really enjoy music, movies, baking, and my dog.

 

I'm really excited to start the Global Teenager Project. I volunteer at a children's hospital, and I've learned a lot from the kids I've been able to work with. Everyone always says children are the future, and sometimes forget that that means every child. I've been lucky enough to have so many great opportunities in my life, but I also know that not everyone has that. Protecting the rights of children isn't just our responsibility, but crucial to the future of everyone else.

 

 

Hannah Feldman

Hi! I’m Hannah, a grade 11 student at UTS. I’ve lived in Toronto for my entire life, spending 10 months at school each year and the other 2 at summer camp. In my free time I enjoy playing a variety of sports, baking, writing (especially playwriting), and acting. I have absolutely no idea what I want to do in my future, but since I like school and learning things, I figure that I’ll manage somehow. I decided to take World Issues this year to gain insight and perspective on the multitude of issues in the world - the course has a fitting name. To be honest, the world seems a little intimidating right now but through this course and the Global Teenager Project I hope to gain understanding and form international connections that might make the world, and addressing the issues our world faces, a little bit more manageable.

 

What do the rights of a child mean to me? Well, I love children, I love equality, I love fairness and a just society and having resources to be supported and grow and develop to ensure the best future for the world. There are so, so many children in the world that lack such basic life necessities. Every child deserves to be protected by these fundamental rights. To me, the rights of a child mean living in a fair, sustainable society, where all children have the protection to fulfill their potential.

 

Isabelle Sarna

Hi! My name is Isabelle. I am a half Korean, half Indian grade eleven student at UTS (I have never had anyone guess my mix accurately).  I was born in Toronto, but moved to Dallas, Texas for 8 years. I am now back and happy to be in Toronto. I enjoy sports and have played volleyball since seventh grade. Other interests of mine include drawing, fashion, and travel!

 

I plan on pursuing humanities in the future; math and sciences are not my favorite subjects!  Children’s rights are incredibly important to me. Equality and justice is something that everyone has a right to, no matter what age. Children are often taken advantage because their youth makes them vulnerable. Protecting their rights is a necessity in order to sustain a just and equal environment.

 

Jody Mou

 

Hello! My name is Jody, and I’m an 11th grade (16 year old) student in Mr. Brim’s World Issues class. I was born in China but immigrated to Toronto, Canada with my family when I was just three years old; as a result, I’m a lot more fluent and literate in English than Chinese! I’m most passionate about science and technology, especially biomedical engineering. Through my world issues class, I’ve also come to realize the importance of global health and education, which is something that I hope to incorporate into my studies in the future. Some things I enjoy doing are 3D Design and 3D printing, architecture, running track and field, and consuming cookies (which I’m not very good at making).

 

I’m excited to participate in the Global Teenager Project because my memories of childhood are something that I will always remember and treasure, and it’s important to me that every child has the opportunity to learn, discover, and thrive. Children are the world’s future, and their protection should be of utmost importance.

 

 

Owen Torrey

 

Hey! My name is Owen Torrey and I’m a grade 11 student at the University of Toronto Schools in Toronto, currently enrolled in the World Issues course. My interests tend to be more humanities based, and I really enjoy considering and examining the complexities of global relations through a variety of lenses. I’d love to get involved with politics or something along those lines after graduation, although I also have an immense passion for literature and might pursue something in that area. I find music, and the exciting directions this art form has been moving in, to be very compelling; some of my favourite artists include Bjork, Arca, and Joanna Newsom.

 

The rights of the child are incredibly important to our global community and its wellbeing. They are an absolutely essential demographic that represent the future of our world, and upholding their fundamental rights and freedoms is crucial in establishing a sustainable future for humankind. Additionally, due to the fact that child are frequently denied a voice due to their age, even in the most liberal of democratic states, it is necessary that those in power continue to act on their behalf and in their best interest, in order to ensure their rights are respected to the greatest degree.

 

 

 

A.J. Davidson

Hello, my name is Alexander John Forbes Davidson but (since that sounds so pretentious) you can call me A.J. I’m a grade 11 student at the University of Toronto Schools, in Toronto, Canada. I enjoy humanities a lot and I think that this project exemplifies why - we’re not just looking at something theoretical (math) or intangible (art) - we’re examining a real issue that is having an impact on the whole world. For this reason, I also enjoy science courses where we can use real-world data. I enjoy the movies (Spotlight was probably the best I saw last year, though The Martian and Star Wars were also pretty fun) and I’m very excited to join the Global Teenager Project.

 

The rights of children is a topic that is vital. Protecting and educating children is the only way to ensure the continued success of any country and, indeed, the entire world. To me, the rights of children include the right to education and the right to be supported both physically (food, water, shelter) and psychologically. Children’s rights are also especially important because they are a group that, even in a democracy, cannot stand up for themselves.

 

 

 

 

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Contributions Challenge 1:  

 

AJ Davidson - Refugee Interview and Postscript

 

A few years ago, AJ Davidson completed an interview with a Bosnian refugee who had resettled in Canada: Please read the resulting report at the following link: 

 

https://drive.google.com/a/utschools.ca/file/d/0B1fX2g6CVC31VnRPeUFXeWNvY2ZOYVJQTGJRNFlBRUxvWHRn/view?usp=sharing

 

AJ has written a thoughtful postscript to relate the events of the past to the present with respect to Syrian refugees:

 

Hello all,

 

The document that you just had the pleasure of reading was a paper that I wrote in Grade 8 for a school project. Even through the lense of my elementary school writing, the hardship that Mr. Gafic endured shines through, even though he apparently he left out some of the more grisly details when talking with the twelve-year-old.

 

It’s strange to note how similar the story of the civil wars that enveloped Yugoslavia after the fall of the country’s Communist dictatorship is to the current Syrian crisis. Pre-war Yugoslavia itself was reminiscent of pre-war Syria, with one ethnic group (Yugoslavia: the Serbs, Syria: the Alawites) presiding over a multi-ethnic and multi-racial country. A look at maps of ethnic groups in Yugoslavia and Syria/Iraq gives us some clues as to why, when the regime collapses, civil war erupts, in these cases along long-held ethnic lines. (Aside: here is the link that I got the second map from; it’s a long read, and from late 2014, but it’s a great and fairly easy to understand explanation of the historical lead-up to ISIS and the chaos in the modern Middle East.) The devastation of civilian infrastructure and buildings in Mr. Gafic’s city, Sarajevo, mirrors the bombings of many of Syria’s major cities (Aleppo, Homs, etc.). Sarajevo was under threat of famine after being encircled by Serbian troops, reminding us of the recent events in Madaya, Syria. Mr. Gafic, then 14, and his family escaped by the skin of their teeth, catching a U.N. convoy out of the city after peacekeepers arrived to break the siege.

 

Yugoslavia might also give us a clue about the destiny of Syria, Iraq, and, indeed, much of the Middle East - the old country split up along ethnic and religious lines, with Muslims living largely in the new Bosnia, Serbs in Serbia, Slovenes in Slovenia, etc. Of course, in Syria, the added complication is that ethnic groups like the Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites transcend national boundaries, whereas the groups in Yugoslavia were within only one nation.

 

But enough about geopolitics - I wanted to really give a comparison of what happened to Yugoslavia and Syria’s refugees. In the Balkan crisis, just as here, the refugees moved to neighbouring countries first (Mr. Gafic, for example, stayed with friends in Croatia) before going on to Europe and other countries. The scale of the crisis was much smaller in the Yugoslav case, with only around 750,000 refugees forced to relocate outside the borders of old Yugoslavia (around 1-2 million were internally displaced). But where they ended up directly mirrors the Syrian case. 320,000 went to Germany, which was by far the largest (no. 2 was 77,000 to Sweden). It is likely that Germany will be no. 1 again with Syria, and Sweden is certainly going to be among the top 5.

 

One major difference separates the two situations, however. The physical presence of refugee acceptors on the ground in Yugoslavia was much larger than currently in the countries around Syria. This might partially be to greater safety concerns (U.N. peacekeepers were on the ground for most of the conflict in the Balkans). But also, the Balkans are much closer to Europe and the U.S., psychologically, anyway, than the Middle East is. Consider that it took the refugees arriving there for the world to take action to address the humanitarian crisis.

 

The last point I want to address here is the about what happened to Mr. Gafic after he made it to Canada. It’s a perfect example of what happens when refugees come. In Toronto, with the proper support, he was able to get through college and begin a successful career. Refugees (and immigrants in general) have been proven time and again to stimulate economies, especially in countries with aging populations. The International Monetary Fund, for example, just released a study predicting that the E.U.’s economy would be improved by the refugee crisis over the next three years, with gains coming both from the de facto stimulus that refugee programs are to the economy, as well as the surge of fresh labour. The Yugoslavian refugee crisis is too recent to be studied closely, but the Mariel Boatlift of April-September 1980, which saw 125,000 Cuban refugees arrive on makeshift rafts in South Florida, has been studied closely. Even though most of the migrants settled in one city, Miami (which only had around 1 million people in 1980), the effects of the population surge on the labour market were minimal, and wages continued to rise with national trends.

 

So what can we learn from all of this? First, history repeats itself. The Syrian refugees are just the latest in a series of people in desperate need that includes the Yugoslavs, the Cubans, the Thai … Second, the circumstances that refugees come from are beyond anything that I or almost any other Canadian have experienced. Second, the refusal to accept large numbers of refugees is historically natural, but it is unfounded in terms of the realities of economics. We (Canadians) need to help these people out, just as we took a chance on a fourteen-year-old boy from Sarajevo in 1994.

 

Poems By UTS Students: University of Toronto Schools

 

Sharon:

Have you ever loved someone so much,

You would give an arm for them.

Not the expression, no literally give an arm for them.

And when they’re hurt and you know you were their armour,

So you would destroy anyone who would try and harm them.

 

So one day you just leave, you know how much a burden

You placed on friends, family, who you still lived with

But they follow, they try and follow you

So you take them to a new land, illegal or legal don’t matter no more

Afraid of the risk of my people, my family, the daughter and sons I have and will have

Jean:

The war is salt inside my body wounds. My God-given human rights lie in ruins.

My hands can no longer hold up my head.

I’m so tired of always feeling defeat, looking at my feet, all the painful secrets that I keep

My family, my life, my heart is barely hanging by a thread

 

You and I can go where they can’t follow, but still they come. To us, they’re good as dead.

The memories, like fingerprints on the windows of my soul.

They still in our country, ripped, gutted, shredded, broken, and torn. I can’t remember the last things they said.

Until our families reunited, our country mended, I will never be whole.

 

Cartoons by UTS Students Julia, Selene, and Michelle:

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1fX2g6CVC31OGt6SEJDWnlDb2hFYTlrekxqVFBlZHNWUjFZ/view?usp=sharing 

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1fX2g6CVC31bmFqZnNkM0tMczdmM3c1eFNHN3J4YmFCX3FN/view?usp=sharing

 

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Feedback from: Carmel College Salland

 

 

• Nice introduction.

• Good description.

• Maybe you could add some more pictures or photographs? That would be lovely!

 

 

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Feedback from: National College BP Hasdeu

 

      I really enjoyed reading the interview and the postscript. I think that whatever happens in this cruel world we should keep our humanity and help other people if they need our help. We should be kind and not discriminate anybody by their skin color, religion etc. I hope we can all live in a better world! :)

 

 

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  We are having a Skype meeting with .............. group:
                                                        on .............. date 

                                                         at .............. pm/am

 

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Contributions Challenge 2:

 

For “Challenge 2” of the Global Teenager Project, UTS World Issues students analyzed some of the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal aspects surrounding the Education of Syrian children in Turkish refugee camps. The information analyzed was based upon the student’s reviews of a Human Rights Watch Report entitled “Barriers to Education for Syrian Refugee Children in Turkey”. The report is available below at:

 

https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/11/08/when-i-picture-my-future-i-see-nothing/barriers-education-syrian-refugee-children

 

Here are the student contributions:

 

AJ

 

Many elements of PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) analysis are applicable to this article on the education of Syrian refugees, however I will focus on two, Political and Social.

 

POLITICAL

The Syrian refugee crisis has had a profound effect on the governments of the region. Many countries do not want the refugees, since they are seen as added competition for too few jobs in countries' struggling economies. Why would Turkey, for example, want to get more Syrian refugees into elementary schools? They have no incentive. Refugees cannot vote. They cannot contribute to the economy. And Turks would ask the question, Why is my government, the Turkish government, spending money on people who are not even Turkish? Therefore, governments administering refugee camps do not and will not prioritize refugee services of any kind, including education, unless given funding for this purpose by international agencies like the U.N.

 

SOCIAL

The social barrier to education for refugees is also very large. Refugees can be seen as second-class citizens and many Syrians do not have any knowledge of local Turkish culture. Language is also a huge problem, as the majority of Syrians do not speak any Turkish. The refugees that the authors interviewed listed the language barrier as a primary reason why their children were not attending school, and the Turkish government has not been effective in launching a "Turkish-Second-Language" education program. Finally, the region where the refugees are, Southeastern Anatolia, has a native population of under 5 million people. There are now nearly 2.2 million Syrian refugees there as well. It is inevitable that this will put pressure on local governance and economics, especially since this is a rural region whose primary employment source is farming. Therefore, the social and demographic barrier to education access is severe and is unlikely to be reduced any time soon without action by the international community.

 

Will

 

The article “When I Picture My Future I See Nothing” Barriers to Education for Syrian Refugee Children in Turkey addresses Political, economic and legal concerns. The main problem explored by this article is the difficulty syrian children have in becoming educated. This can have very negative social and economic outcomes as they get older as eventually the generation of children who are not educated will grop up and be required to take on leadership roles in Turkey. If all of these people are uneducated they will not be able to effectively carry out their responsibilities, adversly affecting the Turkish economy and polilitcal rigidity. Children are the future, and a lack of education now means a lack of an educated future. Turkey needs to step up its effort to educated its new Syrian population.

 

Sharon

 

This articles is clearly about the factors relating to how Syrian refugees are educated, and the problems associated as such.

 

The political factors are the Syrian government behind this, and how many of the rest of the world's governments are not opening their borders to the rest of the world.

 

The social aspects are the people themselves. This includes everyone involved from the refugees themselves, the non-profit organizations who are working so hard to organize workshops and lessons for these people, the educators themselves who may be volunteers or trying to make profit, and of course, the government workers who create legislation and determine the government budget in dealing with refugees.

 

Roksana

 

- refugee children often have a difficult time integrating into these new communities, sometimes eve being bullied because of the differences between them and their Turkish classmates

-it's a common fear among parents and a common issue for the Syrian children, and a reason to not go to Turkish public schools

-the problem is not only with the Turkish classmates, but often the administrators and the teachers, who either do not or cannot punish the bullies (this is not always the case though)

-this whole dilemma decreases the quality of the education and the experience for the kids, who often want to drop out (like Fatima). It's difficult because often there are situations in other developing countries where people simply have no access to education, and when they do they work very hard and use it to try and achieve their dreams and help their families. But when refugee children come from being on the run to a place that could be home, and have the chance to continue to go to school, and then it's basically tarnished because of all the bullying and problems with social integration, it changes their mindset and their future.

 

Oliver

 

Socio cultural: In terms of social integration, Syrian refugees report mixed attitudes towards their integration into the social environment and the education system in general. Bullying is extremely prominent in schools, especially if the teacher is not well equipped with the proper training to deal with the issue. Fatima, 12, a Syrian refugee who reportedly loved school, was bullied for her lack of fluency in the turkish language and the fact she was older than her classmates. The teacher did not notice the aggressive behaviour towards her and so the actions against her went unpunished. If the teacher is able to put a stop to the behaviour quickly, the students tend to thrive, even in such a new and sometimes overwhelming environment. For example, another girl, aged 13, was placed below her age group and was beginning to be bullied when the teacher cracked down hard on the bullying, allowing the girl to excel and be comfortable in her area of learning.

 

Julia

 

This article outlines the devastating effects of the Syrian refugee crisis on children's education.  This obviously related to politics, as the refugee crisis itself has sprung from political conflict.  This particular case and the role of Turkey heavily reference the role of the law and politics.  The Turkish government is comitted to providing education for Syrian refugee children, and the article also mentions that the government is legally required to provide education to the refugees.  

 

The article as a whole is dedicated to investigating the issue of education, which is a social issue.  Social factors, such as family, class and religion can all affect schooling.  

 

Economic aspects of the issue are also raised.  Desperate for money, refugees - and even refugee children - are forced to work long shifts of hard labour to provide for their families.  If families do not have proper registration and identification, they are forced to work illegal labour, which leaves them with little human rights protection.

 

The Syrian refugee crisis is a complex and complicated issue, and all aspects of PESTEL can be applied.

 

Cindy

 

• Political: Syrian refugee teenagers in Jordan, and Lebanon cannot get the education they need due to political instability in Syria forcing them to flee

 

• Social

• A lot of social barriers to education for refugees; language barrier in Turkish schools, and theres a cultural difference so there could be bullying and other difficulties getting along with Turkish classmates

• social tensions with their Turkish classmates--they would get mocked for language error or simply for being Syrian

• oftentimes children need to join much younger grades, which makes integration even harder due to age gap

• sparking change within the classroom; starting to equip teachers with training to address social inclusion & skills to work with refugee children

• overcrowding in some areas (relating to demographics/population) may cause schools to reject refugee students, especially since they will not be able to provide funding (related to economy)

• Syrian refugee teachers are underutilized, probably due to discrimination--they are facing the same problem as refugee students

• underutilization impacts both access and quality of education for refugee children; children may not be able to go due to lack of teachers, or they will have to be in larger classes and undergo more discrimination

• Syrian teachers may be able address social inclusion more easily within the classroom, since they have been through experiences that may be similar to refugee children

• Economy: going through economic hardship, and costs for education is barrier—kids may need to have full-time jobs, and money for utensils and other school supplies is not realistic

 

Avalon

This article really appeals to the social aspect of PESTEL. The writing starts out with a description of the problems that lack of education can cause in the future, outlining the possible social effects it can have. When a child does not have the chance to be educated, they have a higher chance of ending up on the streets, becoming child soldiers, or even dying on their way to Europe. This can pose huge social problems because when there is an epidemic of children dropping out of school, there are less and less people who grow up to do certain jobs. It also increases the amount of children living on the streets, increasing the economic disparity and advantage of the rich.

 

On that note, I would like to switch gears and talk about the economic aspect of this article. For some children, they are unable to go to school because of a lack of money, or their families could not stay somewhere because they did not have enough money to bring up a child. This only causes a larger gap between the extremely rich and the extremely poor, putting the rich in power, and the poor on the streets. When they aren't in school, children are often forced to work for a very small pay, earning only a few (US) dollars a week. Not only does this lead to child labour and low paying jobs forever, but it also is a very dangerous business. Children are often forced to do the most dangerous jobs, and they are unable to understand how dangerous it can be.

 

Isabel

 

This article addresses how education affects the country through many of the different aspects of PESTEL, such as social issues, economic considerations, and political impact. One of the biggest issues it talks about is how the economy will be affected by the lack of education for the refugees in the country, especially considering that in a few decades today's refugees will make up large portion of the work force. Having a lack of educational foundation for them right now is not only taking a tole on the current government financially, but will limit the country's production and cripple a large percentage of the working class in the future.

 

Michelle

 

Legal: Are there any currently legislations that regulate the industry or can there be any change in the legislations for the industry?

 

The government of Turkey is obligated to provide all children in Turkey with free and compulsory primary education and with access to secondary education under international law. The steps Turkey has taken are to lift legal barriers to Syrian children's access to formal education. However, Turkey has not yet succeeded in making education available to most Syrian refugee children, especially those living outside camps.

In April 2014, the Law on Foreigners and International Protection came into force, strengthening the temporary protection scheme for Syrians and Palestinians. The new Directorate General of Migration Management was also created, under the Ministry of Interior.

Subsequently, in October 2014, a regulation was issued that clarified the rules and procedures for registering temporarily protected person, and their rights and entitlements. This legislation did not include an explicit right to work or social assistance, but did indicate that such resources could be make available to beneficiaries.

 

Economic: What are the prevalent economic factors?

 

Turkey has spent approximately 6 billion USD, with limited support for the international community, as the host for over 2 million Syrian refugees. The international community should be supporting Turkey more, not just financially, in order to help Turkey improve access to education for Syrian children.

 

Selene

 

Political: Turkish governments believe that allowing Syrian refugees to work legally will pose concerns for unemployment rates of Turkish people. However, the Turkish government recognizes the importance of education for Syrian refugees, and is one of the better governments addressing the Syrian refugee crisis.

 

Economic: However, there are still economic problems that prevent Syrian children from going to school; they have to work because their parents are not allowed to work legally. Additionally, temporary centres of education require tuition, which not many Syrian refugees can afford. Even in schools without tuition, there are associated costs such as school supplies, activity fees, and parent-teacher association fees.

 

Social: A language barrier is a large deterrent to enrolling children in Turkish schools; This creates concerns about discrimination and makes Syrian children less willing to attend a foreign school (e.g. Omar, 13, was bullied so much he cried when he had to go to school). In addition, certain families do not see the value of attending a foreign school, since they argue that they will return to Syria in the future anyways.

 

Legal: After the government granted refugee status and a government issued ID, it became easier for Syrian children to attend school. However, some schools still demand the requirements that are no longer in place.

 

All these issues compound into a child labour crisis, where many adolescent Syrian refugees find it easier not to attend to school and to instead engage in cheap labour in order to help out the family. Since they work illegally, this creates economic crises as well, where they are paid below minimum wage and work in poor conditions, while the unemployment rates of the host population will not be helped either.

Isabelle

 

Socio-Cultural: Social Integration

 

There have been problems regarding the integration of the Turkish & Syrians within host communities. Problems they faced included the discrimination of their race & language. The Syrians did not want to send their kids to Turkish school in fear that they would be bullied. Integration was not working out within this community. Interviews report that some of the kids would even get beaten by other classmates. Going to a Turkish school became fearful for these children. The children were having too much difficulty & would end up dropping out of school, without getting a proper education.

 

Some recommendations provided including, better training & education for the teachers who are receiving the children. Because these kids have been through so much, the teachers need to know what to do in any situation that may arise- this may be from PTSD etc. There has been difference in the communities that train their teachers right, and for those who go in without knowing what to expect & how to handle things.

 

Jean

 

S-Socio-Cultural

Although the Turkish government has implemented "temporary education centres" with Arabic curriculum (approved by the Syrian Interim Government), many children still have problems with social integration and language barriers.

 

L-Legal

In Turkey, it is stated that the government will provide all children in Turkey (citizenship not specified) with free and compulsory primary education and with access to secondary education. However, there are legal barriers that don't allow Syrian refugee children to benefit from such a law. In 2014, the government made education available to anyone with a government issued ID, rather than making it so only those with proof of Turkish residency could apply.

 

Despite the efforts of the Turkish government, less than one third of the 700,000 refugee children in Turkey are attending school due to legal and social barriers.

Alex

 

P-Political

--Partesian politics have been removed from the curriculum

E-Economic

--Many charge tuition ranging from 440 TL ($158 USD) to 650 TL ($234) per year, and also require additional bus fees for transportation (ranging from 60 TL ($22) per month to 120 TL ($43) per month), which is unaffordable for many families

S-Social

--All partisian references to political figures in Syria have been removed from the curiculum

--~8000 Syrian students have qualified for the Baccalaureate program

T-Technological

--N/A

E-Environmental

--N/A

-Legal/Locational

--Schools are set up in and out of refugee camps

--Temporary education centers are not widely distributed throughout the country, but rather are located in 19 of Turkey’s 81 provinces

​

Ashley

 

Economic -

Over 3 million Syrian children right now are not attending school, which has economically detrimental because it affects the number of educated work-force members of society that can contribute to the economy

 

As well, the lack of money in refugee families prevents them from paying for their children to go to school. There is also rampant child labour among the refugees; furthermore, Turkey does not give work permits to the Syrian refugee population, and so families often rely on their children working into order to get money, because the parents cannot earn fair wages

 

Legal/Social -

Turkey is obligated to provide free and compulsory primary education to children/access to secondary education, and have lifted legal barriers that permit more Syrian children to go to school in Turkey (e.g. they don't need to produce a Turkish residency permit in order to enrol in public school)

 

They also have begun to use a parallel system that includes an Arabic-language curriculum that will help Syrian refugee children overcome the language barrier that may prevent them from attending school in Turkey

 

Social integration of children in schools (and of the refugee population in general) is also an important issue (e.g. Syrian children getting bullied by Turkish children at school)

 

Jacob

 

This article follows the PESTLE system, by appealing to a Social aspect. The author details some of the disadvantaged refugee would-be students, such as Mohammed, who was "one of the best in [his] class. Briefly it covers the Economic aspects, such as the 18 dollars a week Mohammed now makes working 11 hours a day in a garment factory. It shows some political background, how successful Syria was at achieving near-universal primary education, and contrasts it with figures of 90% and down as low as 25% in Turkey.

 

Nuala

 

Social Integration

The article described the difficulties that interviewed families face when integrating into their host communities. Language errors or even just being Syrian prompted bullying and exclusion in schools, and many parents are concerned that their children would not succeed at Turkish schools. This fear is also present among the children themselves,  and it is one of the leading causes for dropping out. Feeling welcomed and comfortable in a new environment is crucial to succeeding there - and for Syrian refugees this is not always the case in Turkey. It is important to find the balance between integration and preservation of culture. These families were forced out of their homes, and abandoning their language and their culture along with it is not beneficial to anyone. They should also have fair and easy access to education, and whether it is a Turkish or Syrian school it should provide a safe learning environment for all students. That being said, it is important that refugees become comfortable in their new communities, and part of that is learning the language, because strong communication is key.

 

 

 

 

 

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Feedback from: (add name of the group or class that gives feedback)

 

 

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Feedback from: 

National College B P Hasdeu

A child shouldn’t have the right to choose when it comes to his educaon. Children aren’t

conscious when it comes to making decisions that aect their future. Educaon should be free and

mandatory.

Parents should give their children chores that are not in anyway abusive or exploitave. The

purpose of chores are to teach children responsibility.

Children should be able to have a job as long as it doesn’t aect their educaon.

 

 

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We are having a Skype meeting with .............. group: 
                                                      on .............. date 

                                                       at .............. pm/am

 

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Completion:

 

 

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Evaluation: