The importance of mentorship support for African refugee students in Ontario secondary schools

ABSTRACT The number of African refugees has been increasing in many countries, including Canada. As the number of refugee students are increasing, school support and programming must be adapted and enhanced to assist in the integration and settlement of refugee students, whose needs are different from those of immigrant students. This essay is part of a larger qualitative study which explored the common challenges and barriers faced by young adult African refugee students in Ontario schools. Using narrative inquiry research design, interviews were conducted with three individuals with refugee status, who entered Canada from an African country. Participants described their experiences, highlights, and challenges, and posed ideas for improvements at the secondary school level. The purpose of this paper is to present one of the larger study’s most significant findings – the need for increased mentorship, within the school and community, in providing more effective support for this group of students.