Refugee Inclusion and the Role of Arts Education in Turkish Primary Schools

This paper discusses how arts education can be used to assist the integration of refugees in Turkey, as well as highlighting the challenges this approach faces. The author begins by explaining the current state of cultural inclusion in Turkish education. While recent steps have been taken to include Syrian refugees into public schools, the system neglects relational elements of integration and non-Syrian minorities. The author then argues that these issues might be overcome with the help of arts education. These processes could promote communication, self-confidence, and inclusion This argument is supported by a report on Istanbul based arts education projects. A range of initiatives are described, all of which engaged children from both Turkish and refugee backgrounds in various forms of artistic expression. Several obstacles to these projects are also described, including formal frameworks, social awareness, lack of resources, unequal access, participation from schools and students, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Author concludes by offering policy recommendations to overcome these challenges, such as implementing inclusive educational policies, increasing funding and sustainability, enhancing international support and cooperation, improving curriculum design, continuous professional development and learning for teachers, advancing extracurricular projects, cooperation among like-minded organizations, and ensuring access to quality arts education.

INTRODUCTION

According to the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Turkey continues to host one of the largest refugee populations in the world, with a population of 3.1 million Syrians under temporary protection and 194,637 refugees and asylum seekers under international protection.1 Of all refugees in Turkey, Syrians are the only group to receive the official government status of temporary protection, which affords them a number of benefits such as access to healthcare, education, social assistance, psychological support, and the labor market.2 Still, despite these rights being recognized, studies indicate that Syrian refugees face serious problems with local integration.