Читать книгу Educating Students with Refugee and Asylum Seeker Experiences - Maura Sellars - Страница 15

Many students are disadvantaged by the impact of neoliberal policies and purposes on education, but it may be students with refugee experiences who have the greatest need for educational experiences which exemplify pedagogical love and care, and respect what it is to be human. The task of teachers and others who would engage in this teaching with love and care is made increasingly difficult by the standardization and quantification of their work. Accompanied by the stresses and pressures of the need to continually improve their productivity and demonstrate their efficiency, the notion of teaching as an act of love and caring may appear to many to be almost impossible. However, the negligence of authentic scholarship and the proliferation of values that erode society, community and sense of self to profit the privileged few may easily be considered as immoral acts against humanity. This is because the values and purpose of neoliberal education systems socialize young [15] people into perceptions of public life which is egocentric and materialistic. This is further disempowering and dehumanizing for students with refugee experiences who are already at risk, despite their many strengths. These considerations alone should make compelling reasons for educational policy makers, leaders and teachers to investigate the strategies that identify as educational actions of love and care. The development of more equitable, more inclusive societies depends on reconceptualising education and restoring trust to those who have undergone the most extreme dehumanizing experiences. To do this effectively, educationalists need understanding, strategies and skills which can be customized for their own contexts, under the framework of pedagogies of love and care. The following chapters are devoted to exploring the knowledge, concepts, theories and information that can make this a reality.