Open Education for Refugees: The Greek reality and the challenge for the Hellenic Open University (original) (raw)

2022, Innovating Higher Education Conference 2022

Greece has been at the epicenter of the refugee crisis which evolved during the last year. Due to its geographical position it has been the entry point and host state for thousands of refugees and asylum seekers. After the first critical period of the crisis, which pertained to the establishment of a secure and safe environment for them, issues of social inclusion arose. Although state efforts to guarantee children’s uninterrupted school attendance were prompt, there was not the same response as far as adult education is concerned. Greece belatedly created a primitive educational scheme for adult refugees and asylum seekers, which focuses mostly on their voluntary participation in Greek language classes. Teaching takes place exclusively within the premises of host camps. From this angle, adult refugees have limited access to education. This condition has triggered the Hellenic Open University (HOU) to create a two-year post-graduate program addressed at potential language educators of refugees. This program has attracted attention from a wide range of practitioners, involved with refugee studies. However, open education for refugees is not yet an attainable target. Research shows the immense positive effect of open education to refugees, since it allows for the inclusiveness of vulnerable groups; it is tallied to the needs of every student, while it offers credentials for cultural respect. Nevertheless, there is no such planning so far. This research paper aims at demonstrating how the HOU could serve as an educational hub for refugees and asylum seekers. It shows how refugees may well participate in particular programs offered by the university. It will then emphasize on issues of equity-based pedagogical practices (a), educators’ skills to engage in their teaching plan refugees (b), and policies regarding intercultural respect (c). Finally, it will argue that HOU is the most preferable institution regarding adult education for refugees, also pointing out at the long-term positive effects on their social integration.

Sign up for access to the world's latest research.

checkGet notified about relevant papers

checkSave papers to use in your research

checkJoin the discussion with peers

checkTrack your impact