The project "Ensuring Continuity in Education for Refugee (Continugee)" is based on the principles of the following declarations: 1951 Refugee Convention, Convention on the Rights of the Child, Lisbon Treaty of the European Union, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Treaty of the European Union, and the Declaration on promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education (Paris Declaration 2015). International studies show that the School-age refugees and especially unaccompanied minors consist a population that moves between European member states before their final settlement. This situation creates two significant needs: First, to ensure that young refugees have a meaningful and rewarding educational encounter with the European way of life, in the sense of what EU President von der Leyen recently described as her vision for a Union of equality, tolerance and social fairness, and the founding values of a united Europe. Such an education, would involve the development of several literacies. It cannot be adequately provided in the difficult conditions of the Reception and Identification Centers, but has to be ensured once these people have been placed under international protection status. Providing refugee children and adolescents with an education that introduces them to European values and the “European way of life” within a structured schooling process, which would maintain and valorize students linguistic and cultural capital, will promote their wellbeing and the well being of their families. It will make them aware of the European context, their rights and obligations, and the main features and attributes of European societies which in several cases differ significantly from their national, ethnic and cultural background. The provision of this educational orientation to newcomers from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds, creates the need for the development of an effective curriculum, and the professional development of educators in order to teach them the European values through/via school courses, adopting existing resources and/ or valorizing their own as well as student’s educational, linguistic and cultural repertoires using teaching strategies which would actively engage refugee students, many of which have never attended school or have been away from school for a long time, usually years. Second, given the fact that in most cases the borderline Member State which was the refugee point of entry to the EU will not be the place of their final settlement, there is the need to ensure a degree of continuity in content and form of the education services provided and to facilitate their educational integration. The "Continugee" project specifically aims at creating a partnership, a. taking into account the present condition of refugee children and adolescents from the Reception areas to the places of “permanent” settlement, b. study best practices for the above-mentioned issues, c. develop a needs-based curriculum and an in-service training program and implement it in schools and education institutions of participant organizations, d. taking into consideration the local conditions and aiming at maximizing the European value along with refugees linguistic and cultural background of such interventions. Four (4) participants from Three (3) countries are part of the Project. Three Universities with long term experience in implementing European programs regarding education and social policy and an NGO and non-profit organization, with great experience in training and social integration programs. The Organizations that consist the Strategic Partnership, are: -National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, -Scientific Society for Social Cohesion and Development, (EPEKSA), Greece, -Fachhochschuele Kiel, Germany, -University of Urbino, Italy.
Through the implementation of the Continugee Project, we aimed to enhance the education of refugee children across Europe. Our primary goal was to develop a unified European reference framework to raise awareness and cultivate European values among educators working with refugee students. This was envisioned to bridge the educational continuity for refugee students during their transition from "first reception" nations, like Greece and Italy, to "destination" countries, such as Germany. By reviewing current educational policies, assessing the needs of both refugee children and their teachers, highlighting best practices in value-based education, and providing targeted training to educators, we intended to create a more cohesive and effective educational experience for refugee children. Additionally, the establishment of an educational platform served as a communication hub and dissemination point for project materials, further promoting knowledge exchange and collaboration among European educators.
The Continugee Project was initiated in response to the pressing need to enhance the education of refugee children across Europe. With the escalating refugee crisis, there has been an evident gap in the educational continuum for refugee children, particularly during their transition between “first reception” countries such as Greece and Italy and “destination” countries like Germany. Additionally, educators often lack a common framework and resources to address the unique challenges and needs of these students, emphasizing the integration of European values. The project aimed to bridge this gap by developing a unified European reference framework that fosters awareness and instills European values in educators working with refugee students. This not only facilitates a smoother educational transition for the refugee children during relocation but also ensures they receive quality education that integrates them into their new societies while upholding European values.