Refugee students Minh Nguyen, Atoosa Karpour, Risa Rami and Lamya Zarshoy (assisted by her cousin Khalida Nasir) wrote accounts of their refugee experiences which have been included in a new kit.

Joint refugee assistance program launched

By Kerri Carr

Federation and the Department of Education and Training have launched a joint assistance program to help newly arrived refugee students.

Federation Senior Vice President Angelo Gavrielatos and Education Minister Dr Andrew Refshauge launched the initiative on September 18 at Randwick Girls High School.

Under the scheme, refugees attending schools and TAFE colleges are eligible for a funding grant of up to $200 in the first year after their arrival in NSW.

To be eligible students must have either a:

• permanent or temporary humanitarian visa;
• permanent or temporary protection visa; or
• bridging visa where the holder has applied for asylum and is requesting a protection visa.

The funds will provide students with uniforms, textbooks, excursions, school camps, art supplies and stationery.

The assistance program is worth $20,000 per year -- $10,000 each from Federation and the State Government.

Mr Gavrielatos said the most immediate human rights issue confronting teachers was the plight of asylum seeker and refugee children.

Mr Gavrielatos said that in any one year there are 1500 refugees in schools and that this year 600 of them are on temporary protection visas (TPVs).

"It should be noted that TPV holders are deemed genuine refugees," he said.

"One would think that the physical and psychological trauma would end but it continues because they [TPV holders] face the spectre of mandatory deportation.

"They are denied access to services that other refugees receive. They are denied access to the Family Reunion Program. They do it tough.

"The Federal Government is contributing to the misery of TPV students. We say put an end to the cruelty," Mr Gavrielatos said.

He said he was very proud of the refugee assistance program initiative.

At the same media conference an educational kit for teachers and students, providing teachers with up-to-date information and resources to better inform all students about the needs and experiences of refugees, was launched.

The kit, Roads to Refuge, will be made available to all NSW public schools.

The press conference was held at Randwick Girls High School because refugee students from the school have their work included in the booklet "Stories from a troubled homeland", which is included in the kit.

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Senior Vice President.

For further information

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