Migrant children, who have succeeded in fleeing from the violence in Central America for a better life in the United States, have been denied enrollment at U.S. schools. An investigation has uncovered that at least 14 states and 35 school districts have either barred or rerouted hundreds of migrant minors into other programs. Advocates for the children are seeking to correct this.
The Associated Press (AP) reports that unaccompanied migrant children from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras were not able to enroll at American public schools due to various reasons. Some were asked for transcripts, which the children couldn't provide as these are back home while others were disbarred because they were too old by the time they graduate.
In other schools, the migrant children were asked to enlist in adult programs because formal classes have been shut down due to lack of school funding. The kids are able to attend English classes, but only for a few hours in a week. They remain idle most days or learn English among friends.
Migrant children encounter hurdles in obtaining a U.S. education: https://t.co/I5wTkaD3sa via @denverpost
— CSPC (@ColoradoSPC) May 2, 2016
Migrant Education Program For Immigrants
In 2013, both the Education and Justice departments have mandated public schools under the Migrant Education Program to provide free education for migrants, regardless of their status with immigration. Under this provision, schools that have denied the kids will be asked to change their enrollment policies.
But the reality is different for the immigrants who thought they could receive more opportunities in America. Yahoo reports that it is not yet known how many children are affected by the disbarment and to what extent this problem has escalated.
Education program provides safe space for refugee, migrant kids in Pennsylvania https://t.co/8HztyWgAkA #edchat #langchat #refugees
— ACTFL (@actfl) February 29, 2016
Advocates Want Schools To Make Adjustments For Migrant Children
Migrant children who have been turned down by schools can file complaints with either the Education or Justice departments. However, the legal process could take years before any decision is made and more often than not, the children don't lodge complaints. "You won't see that challenged very often because these kids usually aren't connected to communities that have a lot of resources or access to lawyers," said San Francisco civic rights public attorney John Affeldt said.
Advocates for migrant children want schools to make adjustments. In fact, several other districts have done this even with budget constraints. The Education and Justice department told AP that they have remained vigilant about ascertaining the children immigrants' basic rights and will look into the recent cases.
