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Support for Refugees

Communication with and involvement of parents and guardians of refugee students

Encouraging good home-school relationships is important in facilitating the best educational outcomes for refugee students. The publications, services, resources and strategy suggestions outlined on this page assist in developing these relationships.

Interpreting and translating services

Interpreting and translating (http://www.allgraduates.com.au) – Government schools can access free intrepting and translating services, within guidelines, to ensure parents and guardians are able to communicate with schools. In addition, DEECD has prepared Guidelines for using interpreters in schools (Word - 149Kb). Bookings can be made online.

Talking in tune – A guide to working with interpreters in schools – assists schools to work effectively with interpreters in a variety of school situations. Video copies were sent to all Government schools in 2005. It is also available on CD-ROM and DVD, and loan from the LMERC library.

Improving the use of translating and interpreting services – A guide to Victorian government policy and procedures (PDF - 1.0Mb) – is published by the Victorian Office of Multicultural Affairs (http://www.multicultural.vic.gov.au) . It provides direction on the use of interpreters and translators, and practical advice on obtaining high quality language services.

Print publications and documents

Victorian government schools – Welcome to school booklet – is a parents information handbook a vailable in English, Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese.

Literacy: Parents make the world of difference (http://www.acsso.org.au/wod.htm) – is a pamphlet available from the Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO). It provides information for parents on strategies for helping young children with literacy development. The pamphlet is available in 11 languages, including English.

Schools in for refugees (http://www.foundationhouse.org.au/resources/publications_and_resources.htm) – covers 'Partnerships with parents' in Section 8.

Families Learning Together – A resource for students and families (http://www.minedu.govt.nz) – (Ministry of Education, New Zealand 2004) outlines strategies for working with parents.

Multilingual school notices – support communication between the school and families from language backgrounds other than English. Twenty-three school notices commonly requested for translation are available in 22 languages, including English.

Other communications strategies

Other strategies for encouraging communication with and involvement of parents and guardians of refugee students include:

  • Thinking about the most effective way to communicate with parents and families – is it oral or written, or both?
  • Encouraging the involvement of parents in school activities and parent groups/associations
  • Working with a Multicultural Education Aide (MEA) or bilingual worker to improve communication with parents.
  • Learning about the previous educational experiences of students and their families to help understand the differences and similarities with schooling in Australia.