The relationships between schools and the families of pupils coming from Arab countries in Europe. Focus on Italy, Germany, and Sweden

Abstract

While the importance of the relationship between school and family in ensur-ing successful education is widely acknowledged, this recognition is not con-sistently mirrored in the educational practices of European schools. At times, this relationship is affected by the bias that pupils with migratory backgrounds come from families with limited educational backgrounds who need to bridge the gap to acquire the knowledge and culture of the host country. This paper aims to consider pupils coming from Arab countries as belonging to families who already possess an educational habitus, acquired in their home countries, which influences their interaction with schools in the host countries to some extent. The issue is dealt with starting from a Ph.D. research focusing on the educational experiences of Arabic-speaking pupils, parents, and teach-ers across Arab and European countries. Additionally, insights are drawn from the Erasmus Plus Project "ParentAble - dealing with parents of newly migrated pupils" that considers the experiences of families coming from Arab countries.