Education as a humanitarian response: A critical approach to education at Greek first reception centres

Abstract

This dissertation delves into the availability and inner workings of the educational system provided to children living at Greek first reception centres. The aim was to address how the right to education can be promoted or hindered for these children, as well as the ability it can have to foster equity and human rights values. To this end, semi-structured qualitative interviews with parents, teachers, NGO workers and psychologists, as well as participant observation, during educational moments, over the course of three weeks, were conducted and analysed. A further discussion, through the lenses on the Critical Theory of Education, brought to light the fundamental role that education can have in promoting empowerment and social justice, particularly in refugee children. The findings revealed that the right to education is often hindered for children living at RICs and CCACs, highlighting crucial differences between formal and non-formal education, as well as the lack of mother tongue based teaching. A constant feature of the results was the eagerness which children and their family demonstrated towards learning. Lastly, it was recommended that further research should explore the educational system through the children’s needs and abilities, as well as suggestions for the improvement of the current educational situation through policies and practices.