Refugees' educational support

< Presentation Report >

In this presentation, I talked mainly 2 thing. The purpose and the way to learn Japanese in Japan and about my fieldwork at CTIC.

For introduction I talked why educational support is required for refugees and asylum seekers. This is because they will need it when they have to get a job. In addition, for getting a job they have to communicate with local people and get correct information in Japanese. So language education is the answer to how to fit refugees into our society and culture. When I think what happened in Parris, a terrible terrorism, it is said that offenders felt loneliness and anxiety and it's a part of reason of this tragedy so educational support for refugees must be our highest priority.

Secondly I introduced 3 types of schools or classes which are available to refugees. private Japanese school, local government classes, and Junior high night school. I introduced local government classes as the best way because despite other types of schools or classes cost too much, they are for free. In addition I introduced UNHCR's refugee higher education program which allows refugees to go to univertsity collaborationg with 4 universities: Meiji uni, Kwansei Gakuin uni, Aoyama Gakuin uni, and Tsuda collage, and educational support by Agency of Cultural Affairs. Agency of Cultural Affairs provides resettlement refugees 180 days educational program.

Finally I talked about my experience at CTIC which provides refugees food, medical, educational and clothes support. I took longer time to talk about my fieldwork because I wanted my classmates to know the gap between what homepage of official organizations and government sais and what refugees are feeling. Fortunately I could interviewed with both a staff of CTIC and 2 asylum seekers from west Africa, I could tell Yuri.K and Yuri.O current situation around them. Both of them said Japanese support for refugees. 308words

< Discussion Report >

My discussion questions are below:

1. Japan's prime minister Abe dicided to support refugges mainly in Europe by spending $8 million dollars. Do you think there is a point on this action? If so, why?

2.Asylum seekers are often sent to concentration camp where they are treated as well as offenders. How do you think about it?

About question 1, I said yes there is a point on this action but Japan should use some of these money for refugees or asylum seekers in Japan. Japan always just spending money for its standing in the world but it's sometimes meanless as each problems in Japan, like refugees's home, food, medical support and so on, has not solved yet. Yuri.K agreed with my idea and she noted that donation is important however, specific action is far more important. She showed us what she reserched, housing support by IKEA, and said support with action is better than just spending money.

About question 2, I explained that refugees are afraid of concentration camp because staffs and rules are really strict and it's like a prison because there is no window there. Yuri.O said in EU countries, where migrants and refugees are sent and where offenders are sent are separated. So Japan better do so because it's strange that asylum seekers are treated as well as offenders. Yuri.K and I agreed with her and I added that some people who haven't met refugees or asylum seekers are prejudiced against them so we have to have a chance to communicate with them. I have met asylum seekers at first in this fieldwork and I thought they were far more easy going than I had expected.