Making Up For Lost Time

How are recently arrived refugee young people from Southern Sudan faring in Australian high schools? A project undertaken with young refugees from three schools in the Western Sydney suburbs of Blacktown and Bankstown suggests that schools can act as sites where Southern Sudanese young people can come to terms with the trauma of forced migration, and make the transition to citizenship and belonging in multicultural Australia. (p. 1). Several recommendations for working with recently arrived Southern Sudanese young people have arisen from our research. First, a community development approach is recommended. Communal approaches include consulting and working with ethnic community organisations, establishing peer mentoring groups and providing sustained opportunities for debriefing about traumatic experiences and finally, it is important to encourageyoung people to consider a variety of educational options. (p. 55)