ResearchNovember 1, 2018
Language, education and the politics of belonging: Refugee education in Malawi
This study examines the role of language and education in shaping the sense of belonging and future prospects for refugees in Malawi's encampment system.
M. Dyrness
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Overview
M. Dyrness explores how the choice of language in education (specifically the shift towards the Malawian curriculum) impacts refugee students’ identities and their feelings of “belonging” in a country where they have limited legal rights to stay permanently.
Key Themes
- Educational Policy: The impact of integrating refugee education into the national Malawian system.
- Linguistic Identity: How the use of English and Chichewa vs. home languages (Swahili, French) affects learning and identity.
- Politics of Belonging: The tension between being “educated for Malawi” while remaining legally “refugees.”
- Social Integration: The role of schools as spaces for interaction between refugees and the host community.
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