This research focuses on the practices of New Zealand schools welcoming refugee students into their student bodies. The Ministry of Education issues guidelines around these welcoming practices in their publication, the Refugee handbook for schools (Ministry of Education n.d.), and requested that the research be carried out in order to determine the extent to which schools are implementing the practices recommended. This research was aimed at presenting a representative picture of the welcoming practices implemented in schools throughout New Zealand so all schools hosting refugee students in 2004 were invited to participate in the research. One hundred and thirteen schools of the 309 approached (36%) completed the survey. The study found that while schools were eager to make refugee students 'introduction to school life as pleasant as possible, there were a number of constraints which included funding and the availability of resources and interpreters. A number of suggestions are made as to how some of these challenges might be overcome.

Refugees Introduction New Zealand schools Welcoming practices

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