The United States has a long history and tradition of granting asylum to those fleeing from political persecution and war. According to the information provided by the International Rescue Committee in 2015, this organization granted asylum to almost 10,000 newly arrived refugees and victims of human trafficking as well as other immigrants.
Recent years have been marked by the ever-increasing number of Arab refugees coming to the United States. This dynamics presents a significant challenge not only from the political and economic perspectives, but also from the viewpoint of the educational system. The primary issue of paramount importance that needs to be answered within the context of education relates to the financing of education for Arab refugees. There have been numerous discussions in recent years concerning this burning subject-matter which focused primarily on two adversary points of view. The supporters of the idea of free education and equal opportunities for all without any distinction argue that education should be free for children of the Arab refugees regardless of any external circumstances. On the other hand, the opponents of this idea state that the Arab refugees and immigrant have to pay for their own education and education of their children on the equal basis with all the other citizens of the United States.
Another fundamental issue is whether education for the Arab refugees should be compulsory and if it should be what government structures and agencies are to be responsible for the promotion of education for this particular population.
Another crucial issue concerning education for Arab refugees in the United States relates to the process of learning English as a second language. The questions to be answered within this context is whether the English language should be a compulsory discipline for all Arab refugees and their children and whether teachers and instructors should apply specific learning strategies to the above-mentioned populations while teaching English as a second language to the Arab refugees.
References
How the IRC helps refugees build new lives in the United States. (2016). Retrieved May 16, 2016, from http://www.rescue.org/resettling-refugees-us
