26 September 2002
Education of detained asylum seeker children and young people at State Government schools
Human Rights Commissioner Dr Sev Ozdowski today welcomed an agreement between the Victorian Government and the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs to allow asylum seeker children to leave detention centres to attend local schools.
Dr Ozdowski said a structured program in a mainstream school, with ESL support, is a much better learning environment than a detention centre, especially when a child has been in detention for a long period of time. "During the course of my National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention, I have inspected all the education facilities operated by Australia's immigration detention centres. From what I have seen the teaching environments inside detention centres appear to fall well below the standards in the Australian community generally."
"Attending local schools allows detained children - who otherwise spend 24 hours a day in detention centres - to socialise with Australian children. Given that many detained families are eventually recognised as refugees, it is in Australia's interests to ensure the children get an education that helps them integrate into Australian society as soon as possible."
However, Dr Ozdowski said that regardless of developments in external education of child asylum seekers, he remains concerned about the prolonged detention of children.
"We need to remember that the Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed by Australia in 1990, says that children should only be detained 'as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time'. The Convention also enshrines the right to education."
Dr Ozdowski said he believed that some children from Villawood, Maribyrnong and Port Hedland, attended local public or private schools. However, not all children in detention or all detention centres offer external education. No children from Woomera or the new Baxter centre attend local schools outside detention. The Commission has not been provided with details on what schooling is being provided for children on Manus or Nauru.
"I welcome the development in Victoria for the lucky few who are to attend a local school and congratulate the Victorian Department of Education, Employment and Training for coming to an agreement with DIMIA," said Dr Ozdowski. "I urge the Commonwealth and relevant State governments to take immediate steps to provide the same opportunities for other children, particularly those in South Australia."
Media contact: Janine
MacDonald 02 9284 9880 or 0408 469 347
