THE INTEGRATION OF THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS IN THE LATVIAN EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT: THE CURRENT SITUATION AND KEY ISSUES

Authors

  • Inese Jurgena The University of Latvia
  • Ingrīda Keviša Latvian Academy of Culture
  • Anna Līduma University of Latvia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17770/sie2018vol1.3086

Keywords:

attitudes, language, third-country nationals

Abstract

Due to the European migrant crisis, the issue concerning the integration of refugees, third-country nationals, into Latvia’s society has become increasingly topical in the last years. Since a lot of refugees are under 18, schools also must be ready to accept learners of other nationalities and cultures and help them integrate into the community of the host country. According to studies conducted in Latvia, the system of education needs to change the attitude towards the integration of immigrants in the school environment. Therefore, the incorporation of inter-cultural experience in the curricula of teacher-training institutions is a significant factor that could enable pre-service teachers to prepare for their professional life and the implementation of the approach of inclusive education at school. The aim of the article is to analyse the current situation and the main issues concerning the integration of the children of third-country nationals in the Latvian school environment and the multi-cultural Latvian society. The study is based on the analysis of scientific literature, documents, academic research data as well as student essays. Having analysed the opinions of 166 respondents, the authors of the article concluded that it is important to promote the development of a positive attitude to the inclusion of third-country nationals in the Latvian education environment in the process of teacher training, focussing on cross-cultural communication and the principles of inclusive education.

 

 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

  • Inese Jurgena, The University of Latvia
    Professor, Dr. paed.
  • Ingrīda Keviša, Latvian Academy of Culture
    Latvian Academy of Culture; Department of Intercultural Communication and Modern Languages, docent; Dr. philol.

References

Auziņa, I., Grīnberga, I., Lazareva, A., Marševska, I., Ozola, Ī., Pamiljane, L., & Vanags, P. (2011). Atvērsim vārtus! Metodiski ieteikumi skolotājiem. Rīga: Latviešu valodas aģentūra. Retrieved from http://maciunmacies.valoda.lv/images/Maci/Informativais_buklets_LV.pdf

Baker, C. (2002). Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Rīga: Nordik.

Bartkevičiene, A., & Raudelitinaite, R. (2012). The need of integration measures for immigrants in Lithuania for non-European countries. Socialinis Darbas 2012, 11(2), 341-354.

Berger, P. L., Luckmann, T. (1991). The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Bourdieu P. (1991). Language and Symbolic Power. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press,107-117.

Djačkova S., Zankovska-Odiņa, S., Laganovska, K., Andersone, Dž., Dambe, L., & Kirjuhina, J. (2011). Pētījums par patvēruma meklētāju, bēgļu un personu, kurām piešķirts alternatīvais statuss, piekļuvi izglītībai Latvijā. Rīga: Latvijas Cilvēktiesību centrs.

Indāns, I. (2012). Starptautiskās migrācijas procesi un to pārvaldība Latvijā pēc pievienošanās ES, Promocijas darbs. Rīga: Latvijas Universitāte.

Kļave, E., Šūpule, I., & Zepa, B. (2015). Trešo valstu pilsoņu portrets Latvijā . Sabiedrības integrācijas fonds. Retrieved from http://www.sif.gov.lv/images/files/SIF/tres-valst-pils-port/Gramata_pilsonu_290615_web.pdf

Koiv, K., Zuzeviciute, V., Rone, S. & Liduma, A. (2013). Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian students in higher education perspective towards experiences in other countries and migration. In: P. Cunningham (Eds.), Identities and citizenship education: Controversy, crisis and challenges. (pp. 124-136). London: CiCe.

Kolčanovs B., Tūna A., & Zankovska-Odiņa, S. (2014). Ikviens ir gaidīts skolā! Rīga: Latvijas Cilvēktiesību centrs.

Lulle A., Brands-Kehre, I., Geidāne, L., & Ose, L. (2008). Rekomendācijas bēgļu integrācijai. Riga: IOM Riga Office.

Margeviča, I. (2008). Skolotāju starpkultūru izglītība multikulturālā sabiedrībā, Promocijas darbs [Doctoral dissertation]. Rīga: LU.

Mensah, P. (2010). Situation of new immigrants in Latvia. New immigrants in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Tallin: Legal Information Centre for Human Rights, 25-40.

Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia (2011). Guidelines on National Identity, civil society and integration policy (2012-2018). Retrieved from http://polsis.mk.gov.lv/view.do?id =3782

Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia (2012). Action plan for promoting society consolidation in the field of education (2012-2014). Retrieved from http://cilvektiesibas.org.lv/site/record/docs/2012/07/09/Riiciibas_plans_saliedetiba_2012.pdf

Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia (2014). Statistics on the accessibility of education in the academic year 2013/2014. Retrieved from http://www.izm.gov.lv/lv/publikacijas-un-statistika/statistika-par-izglitibu/statistika-par-visparejo-izglitibu/2013-2014-m-g

Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia (2014). The Guidelines for the Development of Education for 2014-2020. Retrieved from http:// https://rio.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/library/guidelines-development-education-2014-2020

Pičukāne, Ē. (2013). Tālākizglītības potenciāla izmantošanas un pilnveides iespējas darbā ar trešo valstu valstspiederīgajiem. Promocijas darbs. Rīga: Latvijas Universitāte.

Pičukāne, E. (2013). Influence of internet-media discourse on teachers’ tolerance towards third-country nationals. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference “Society. Integration. Education”, Volume 2. Rēzekne: Rēzeknes Augstskola, 47-58.

Rauhansalo, T., & Kvieska, V. (2017). Finnish Education System in Integrated Social Education context. Social Education, 46(2), 24 -39.

Riga City Council (2017). Materiāls darbam ar jauniebraucēju un reemigrantu bērniem izglītības iestādēs, 2017. Retrieved from http://www.amitiecode.eu/sites/default/files/uploads/training_booklet_lv.pdf

Riga City Council. Education Development Centre (2014). Situācijas izpēte par jauniebraucēju un reemigrantu bērnu iekļaušanos Rīgas vispārizglītojošās skolās. Retrieved from www.iac.edu.lv/assets/Uploads/Materiali/Situacijas-izpete-jauniebrRigas-sk2014GALA.pdf

Szerlag, A. (2017). Multiculturalism and Interculturalism as the Points of Reference for Teaching Competencies. Acta Pedagogica Vilnensia, 2017 /38, 77-89.

Trasberg, K., & Kond, J. (2017). Teaching New Immigrants in Estonian Schools - Challenges for a Support Network. Acta Pedagogica Vilnensia, 2017 /38, 90 -100.

Veebel, V. (2015). Balancing Between Solidarity and Responsibility: Estonia in the EU refugee Crisis. Journal on Baltic Security, 1(2), 28-61, de Gruyter Online.

Downloads

Published

2018-05-25

How to Cite

Jurgena, I., Keviša, I., & Līduma, A. (2018). THE INTEGRATION OF THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS IN THE LATVIAN EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT: THE CURRENT SITUATION AND KEY ISSUES. SOCIETY. INTEGRATION. EDUCATION. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference, 1, 186-195. https://doi.org/10.17770/sie2018vol1.3086