Chapter 5: Still Far to Go: Systematic Programming for Immigrant and Refugee Children and Youth

Many stakeholders are involved in the provision of educational services for immigrant children and youth in Edmonton, Canada. Unfortunately, there has been limited coordination across stakeholders, leaving many students falling between the cracks. Federal government contributions are restricted by the Canadian Constitution; thus, federal input is limited to non-instructional support. The provincial government makes policy and funding decisions about English as a second language (ESL) programming. Universities educate kindergarten to grade 12 (K–12) teachers, but opportunities for pre-service teachers to learn about ESL issues are ad hoc. School boards determine how ESL is delivered across districts, but they face severe funding constraints in the current economic climate. If students are coded as ESL, their schools receive supplementary funding to provide language instruction; however, many needs are not met, and this contributes to high dropout rates. Several nongovernmental organizations have established out-of-school homework clubs to provide additional support. These well-intentioned efforts rely heavily on volunteers, only some of whom have the necessary skills. ESL parents are sometimes distraught because they perceive that their children are not receiving a good education. Although most stakeholders are sincere in their commitment to support immigrant children and youth, the lack of systematicity and coordination has resulted in terrible human costs. We make recommendations (including, for example, assessment, professional development for school staff, and elimination of the age cap) for providing these students with an equitable education.