Challenges to the relational integration of urban refugee children into the national education system of Mozambique

Abstract

This article draws from a qualitative case study, focussing on the educational experiences of urban refugee children in Mozambique. The fieldwork conducted in Maputo and Nampula during 2018–2020 found that urban refugee children fail to relationally integrate into Mozambican schools as they are subjected to stereotypes, bullying and discrimination at schools and its surroundings. This is critical since effective integration entails more than sharing education structures. Therefore, the government of Mozambique must implement policies that maintain social cohesion and belonging among refugees and their native peers. Only then will refugee education in Mozambique provide urban refugee children with security, stability and protection.