Political and economic gamble: why two jurisdictions in Canada and Germany made the right decisions in welcoming Syrian newcomers, 2015-present

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this analysis, we overlay two lenses, politics and economics, onto the work of educators involved in welcoming and integrating newcomers into two School Boards in Ontario, Canada and in schools across the State of North Rhine, Westphalia, Germany. Although the settings are on two distant continents, for many newcomers, Canada and Germany are where they see preferable futures for themselves and their children. We will highlight both the similarities and differences in these two settings. While Canada and Germany provide a global and national context, we ask readers to pay close attention to local, subnational jurisdictions, arguing that local jurisdictions can be more flexible and adaptable to human needs. As such, we attribute high levels of educator autonomy in Germany and professional discretion and influences in Canada as successful practices. Both nations and specifically these local jurisdictions have staked their reputations as healthy democracies and economies in their educational policies and practices with respect to newcomers. While most of the world’s nations have closed their borders, and use sovereignty and economics to support their decisions, Ontario and North Rhine, Westphalia have chosen a different pathway. Will they, through the work and knowledge of educators, demonstrate that education matters locally and globally?