ABSTRACT

This article provides a critical analysis of policies from two education systems that support the education of students from migrant backgrounds. This analysis examines the highly political policy context of multiculturalism to reveal how education systems acquiesce to or resist social and political forces. In making this case, the article presents an historical analysis of the Australian federal government’s multicultural policy and the events that shaped it. The article then presents an analysis of the national policy statement Multicultural Australia: United, Strong, Successful to understand the current federal position on multiculturalism. These analyses provide an understanding of the political rationality of the broader context. This article argues that education policy constructions are likely to reflect this political rationality. Against this backdrop it then examines primary policies from two education systems that relate to education for students from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The key argument is that, whilst the federal government attends to concerns about security, social integration and economic contributions, education departments can ‘resist’ and attend to broader issues related to educational equity and social justice.

摘要

本文对两个支持移民背景学生教育的教育系统的政策进行了批判性分析。该分析考察了多元文化主义的高度政治政策背景，以揭示教育系统如何默许或抵制社会和政治力量。在提出这个案例时，本文对澳大利亚联邦政府的多元文化政策以及形成该政策的事件进行了历史分析。然后，文章分析了澳大利亚多元文化的国家政策声明：团结、强大、成功了解当前联邦对多元文化主义的立场。这些分析提供了对更广泛背景下的政治理性的理解。本文认为，教育政策的构建很可能反映了这种政治理性。在此背景下，它随后审查了与移民和难民背景学生的教育有关的两个教育系统的主要政策。关键论点是，虽然联邦政府关注安全、社会融合和经济贡献，但教育部门可以“抵制”并关注与教育公平和社会正义相关的更广泛问题。