MYAN is hosting a national meeting to put a spotlight on education for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

We are thrilled to announce that our panellists include:

• Julie Sonnemann, Grattan Institute
• Dr Susan Creagh, University of Queensland

Amongst a myriad of challenges, 2020 has also been a year with unprecedented disruptions to education.

Join us to hear from a diverse panel of experts from across Australia, to discuss the implications of COVID-19 on education for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

COVID-19 has had enormous and unprecedented disruptions on education for all of Australia’s children and young people – with heightened implications for those who face long-standing access and equity barriers in education, including from refugee and migrant backgrounds.

Education is a critical factor in successful settlement outcomes for young people, and school closures and other disruptions have posed a profound risk of widening educational inequality.

While the process of transitioning back to the classroom has been diverse across the country, many students, their families, and teaching staff remain deeply concerned about how this will affect skills acquisition, learning and employment pathways in both the short and long term.

The panel will explore how these educational challenges are being addressed from a policy, programming, and service level across Australia and will be followed by Q & A with the audience.

The information from this event will inform the ongoing policy work of the National Education Roundtable. Co-chaired by MYAN and Foundation House, the Roundtable is a national, cross-sector group that meets regularly to discuss how primary and secondary school students from refugee and migrant backgrounds are faring and how schools can best support them to achieve their potential, and to engage in educational research and advocacy. The Roundtable includes representatives from all states and territories and a range of sectors, including academia, policy, and settlement services.

We look forward to seeing you on the 4th of November!

The MYAN team - Nadine, Shannon, Swathi and Andrew