Classification of Horn of Africa school children: is it appropriate for the educational authorities in England to refer to them as refugees?

Abstract

Drawing on evidence from a PhD study, this paper raises questions about the appropriateness of English educational authorities to continue to refer to the Horn of Africa children, most of them born in the UK, as refugees. The word refugee, in its broad definition, seemingly masks fundamental differences and may reinforce stereotypical perceptions of immigrant children. Many Horn of Africa people tend to define themselves using their respective national identities. Thus, the paper recommends that when the educational authorities want to categorize children of Horn of Africa origin, they should consider using the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ extended ethnicity codes or preferably refer to them simply as Eritreans, Ethiopians, Somalis and Sudanese.

Keywords:

• Horn of Africa
• children
• parents
• refugee