Refugee children should be in school system

SINCE 2017, Living Water Community has been helping to provide a child-friendly space for the growing numbers of refugee children in TT with the unofficial School of Hope. But coordinator of Living Water Foundation’s Ministry for Migrants and Refugees Rochelle Nakhid says the arrangement is not sustainable and the ideal would be for the refugee children to be integrated into the public school system.

She was speaking with the media after a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Thursday at St Finbar’s RC Church, Diego Martin.

She said the refugee children generally do not meet the requirements under the Immigration Act for a student permit, but the right to education under the Children’s Act does not discriminate by nationality. She added there were hundreds of refugee children from babies to 18 years and it included unaccompanied and separated children.

Nakhid said the community is willing to assist the Education Ministry in integrating the refugee children including how to teach speakers of a second language.

Living Water Community co-founder Rhonda Maingot said for the last 30 years, Living Water Community has been a partner with UNHCR. She recalled in the first few years there were very few refugees but it started to increase at the turn of the century.

“In the last three, four, five years more and more people are coming and of course many, many children. And just like everyone here, we’ve all been to school and we’ve all been educated and to deny education to a child must be the worst thing we can think of.”

Maingot said many children have come to TT and have not been able to be educated. She said this fact moved Living Water Community to create the School of Hope (the location is private for security purposes).

“It continues to do a wonderful job, but unfortunately we cannot keep up with the amount of children that we have today and we have coming every day.”

She said the community hoped to go into parishes and communities and get child-friendly spaces to move out the school and educate in various areas in TT and also get some official recognition for those who attend the school. She said to do this, Living Water Community required a vehicle — such as the one donated on Thursday by the US Embassy — for the education unit to go out to various areas. She added, the community will now be able to bring education to the refugee population.

“I think we are in for the long haul. I don’t think next year is going to be any different, but probably much more challenging than we see today. But it’s okay; we’re accustomed to challenges and all of us here are committed to moving as necessary to help the refugees and asylum seekers as they experience tremendous difficulties here in our country. And to be able to help the children is a tremendous blessing.”

US Ambassador to TT Joseph Mondello said the embassy has seen the good work of the community in helping refugees access medical care, delivering food assistance and finding new ways to address the need for education.