Crossing institutional and 'other' borders

This chapter discusses the ways that socio-cultural and political discourses impact on the discourses that operate in relation to refugees and on government educational policies affecting experiences. The discussion illustrates how socio-cultural and political discourses frame school education. It argues that education tends to be designed for the development and success of particular types of student, based on constructed understandings that reflect a 'mainstream', middle class profile. many refugee students, particularly those from poor, agranan economies such as those originating from some African nations, do not conform to this profile. Nevertheless, these students are expected to engage with and, more importantly, succeed at school. Indeed, we would argue that the lack of alignment between school expectations and student backgrounds not only affects humanitarian refugees, but also many other young people from diverse and disadvantaged life situations (Ferfolja & Vickers, 2010).