ABSTRACT
Unlike refugee students in large Canadian cities where support systems have long been established and ethnic minority presence is more pronounced, refugee youth living on the island portion of a province in Canada are faced with unique challenges. This chapter reports a study conducted in a smaller centre in Atlantic Canada with a small number of ethnic minorities. To complement the studies on refugee students’ experiences from English as a Second Language teachers’ perspectives, this study intended to hear the voice of educators who work intimately in the microsystem of refugee students daily, including subject teachers, academic bridging teachers and support staff. Their narratives illustrate challenges faced by both the students, such as unsecured transportation to school and difficulties with literacy and numeracy, and by the teachers, such as feelings of ignorance and inadequacy, and inaccessibility to professional development opportunities, among others. Practical recommendations for the school and teacher education programmes are offered.
