Initiatives Influencing Integration of Urban Refugee Pupils in Primary Education in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate initiatives influencing the integration of urban refugee children in primary education in Nairobi County, Kenya. Five research objectives were designed to guide the study; to establish how teacher training influences integration of urban refugee learners in primary education, to examine how language support influences integration of urban refugees in primary education, to show how curriculum support influences integration of urban refugee pupils in primary education, to establish how financial support influence integration of urban refugees in primary education, to determine how Government policy on admission of refugee learners influence the integration of urban refugee learners in primary education. Bronfenbrenner's social-ecological theory guided the research. The study utilized a descriptive survey design whereby ten out of thirty-two primary schools were sampled through purposive sampling method. The target population of interest was refugee children in class 6, 7 and 8. The researcher obtained a list of pupils with refugee status from classes 6, 7, and 8 and teachers teaching those classes in each school to determine the pupils and teachers to be included in the sample. Simple random sampling method was used to sample teachers while systematic sampling used to sample refugee pupils. The sample of the study included 10 headteachers, 100 teachers and 300 refugee pupils to give a total sample of 410. Data collection instruments were mainly questionnaires for teachers, refugee pupils and interviews scheduled for head teachers. Test and re-test procedure was used to ensure the reliability of the survey tools. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r) was used to obtain comparison in the two tests. A correlation coefficient of 0.74 was obtained for the teacher's questionnaire, 0.78 for pupil's questionnaires. Quantitative data collected was analyzed using descriptive survey, Statistical Package for Social Sciences and a combination of statistical computations. These included frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis, and data were organized into themes, patterns, and sub-topics. Findings of the study established that teachers were not adequately equipped to handle children with a refugee background who were to adjust to a new curriculum, the language of instruction, and classroom expectations. The host country curriculum was very different from the one refugee children followed in their home country. Financial support was very significant to enable parents and children to cop up with hidden costs associated with education. With the implementation of the Free Primary Education (FPE) policy in 2003, the Government of Kenya is committed to achieving Education for All (EFA) goals. The study recommended that the Government, through the Teachers Service Commission, in collaboration with development partners such as UNICEF and UNHCR, should provide the teachers with relevant training to handle children with a refugee background.