Compassion, caring and justice: teachers’ strategies to maintain moral integrity in the face of national hostility to the “non‐citizen”

Abstract

Refugees commonly have just one remaining identity – that of being stateless and statusless. They represent the ultimate “other in our midst”. The humanism of our teachers in helping the children of asylum‐seekers and refugees is tested by the state, especially its immigration policy. This paper offers preliminary research findings on teachers’ concepts of compassion and their responses to the needs of asylum‐seeking and refugee children.