“For me, it is hard, I cannot speak Croatian. But still, I go.”
Reza, a 16-year-old refugee from Iran, still pursues an education despite the challenges of a language barrier and being deported from Austria back to a reception center in Kutina, Croatia. Education is considered the key to a future, yet for many like Reza—part of a generation displaced by war, persecution or natural disaster—it can be difficult to attain. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), only half of refugee children have access to primary education, compared to a global average of over 90 percent. This disparity increases with age, with an estimated 22 percent of refugee adolescents attending secondary school and less than one percent attending university. |
Tania Andrias and Stefanos Katsoulis are a part of Elix's programe which provides education for children of refugees (Photo Credit: Katarina Šapina) |
Having lived in Greece for the past 12 years, Andrias teaches children between the ages of 7 and 17, saying she feels close to those children and even their parents, sharing as she does their language and culture.
"I thought that this is what I can give to these people, like give them their voice, their political talk and communicate, because I know what is like to be in a country where you don’t speak their language and don’t know anyone." |
An outdated law While the current refugee crisis could not have been predicted, the education of asylum seekers in Croatia is still regulated by a law from 2007. As it stands, refugees like Yousif do not have a clearly defined status. While in Kutina, asylum-seeking children have the status of “guest”, which does not exist in the Croatian education system. Such students are not permitted to have the status of “student”, as they do not have a Personal Identification Number (Known as an "OIB" in Croatia), a necessity for school enrollment. All students must sign in to a system for data and information management called E-Matica, but without a PIN, refugee children are unable to use the system. |
Rama Yousuf, a second grade student at Kutina, enjoys spending time with new friends |
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Daily life in Mate Lovrak School in Kutina, Croatia (Photo Credit: Katarina Šapina)