Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an inclusive education environment for refugee children, a topic of global significance which also has huge implications for classrooms in localities many miles away from zones of conflict, persecution, political instability and increasingly inhospitable climate environments. It focuses on the challenges faced by young refugees and by those working to include them in secondary education in schools and colleges. The book then outlines the field of refugee education and the conceptualisation of the refugee education crisis. It also explores some of the background factors which impact on the education of refugee pupils. The book examines the ways in which the actions of the state impact on the educational lives of these young people, and points to possible policy initiatives or changes which could help the young refugees to succeed.