From Streets to Developing Aspirations: How Does Collective Agency for Education Change Marginalised Migrant Youths’ Lives?

ABSTRACT

This paper provides an account of migrant youths’ experiences of access to education through a social initiative-driven school and highlights how these youths developed pathways of aspirations to work for the good of the community. In doing so, the paper also provides a lens to the issues of migration in Southern Africa and a context in which to understand how collective action (agency) for education can deeply transform marginalised migrants’ aspirations and offer spaces of equality and agency for change. Drawing on data collected over a span of three years, the paper aims to illustrate how Albert Street School (Authority obtained to use original school name), established as a part of grass-root collective action, supports and impacts on migrants’ capabilities and how these capabilities lead to aspirations for public good. The narrative methodology used to understand migrant youths’ lives and experiences illustrates that collective capabilities have the potential to address different forms of disadvantage and distribute diverse and incommensurable good to local communities.

Keywords:

• Aspirations
• Collective action
• Capabilities
• Education
• Migrant youth
• Social good

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

About the Authors

Faith Mkwananzi is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Higher Education and Human Development Research Group at the University of the Free State. Her research focuses on higher education, migration, and the capability approach. She has interests in educational technologies, public policy and youth engagement.

Firdevs Melis Cin a Lecturer in Education and Social Justice at Lancaster University. Her research focuses on gender , education, and international development with a particular interest in exploring to address epistemic and gender injustices faced by communities.

Notes

1 Form six is the highest grade at high school using the Cambridge education system and is equivalent to Grade 12 in South Africa standards. Albert Street School follows the United Kingdom Cambridge “form” education system.

2 For example, form one and form two's in one class.

3 Involves observing a professional doing their job.