National Inclusion Policy Openings/Barriers for Refugee Teachers: Critical Reflections from Kenya

Abstract

Many refugee teachers toil for years with little support, inadequate working conditions, and unliveable wages, all while facing ‘unknowable futures’ (Dryden-Peterson 2017) about their ability to continue working as teachers. The current push for inclusion of refugees into national education systems has created policy openings for the inclusion of refugee teachers. Drawing on interviews with refugee teachers in Kakuma refugee camp and critical policy analysis of refugee education policies across global, regional, and national levels, our study examines what refugee teachers identify as policy barriers influencing their work and how policies that purport to include refugees into national systems address the needs of refugee teachers. We argue that policies that recognize refugee teachers either fail to address their specific professional needs for recognized teaching certification, adequate teacher compensation, and future career pathways or are inadequately implemented, leaving teachers and the countries hosting them without adequate support to improve teacher management.