Afghan refugees started dd school

[onedancetwostep]

How would you feel?
How would you make them feel welcome?

[MrsCat1]

A Syrian refugee family joined my DDs school some time ago one December. I took them a Christmas hamper full of goodies. They invited me in for a cup of tea and seemed genuinely delighted.

[ThirdElephant]

How would you even know that they were refugees?

[ANameChangeAgain]

✋ Journalist! Which is it this time op, Daily Mail, Mirror, Sun?

[Marianne1234]

And the Mumsnet award of most pointless thread ever goes to …the op for this one

Not entirely pointless. It’s given all the virtue signallers an opportunity to shine!

[lostmyvoice1]

@OnceuponaRainbow18 were you brought to a new school in a new language where you couldn't understand your teacher and classmates? Where once you could understand, you realised that you were regularly being told to fuck off back to where you came from, called an incomer and a parasite, realising that you're hated because of where you're from? There's no comfort for that.

That's my experience of coming here when I was 6. It was shit. I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

[Gilmorehill]

@Saladcreamormayo

you'd treat them just as you would any other child who had just joined the school, must be so scary for them particularly if they don't speak English.
what would annoy me though is if locals who have lived in the community for many years cannot get school places for their children and refugees are given priority and get the school place instead.

Aren’t you lovely?

[EwwSprouts]

They're children and they probably have memories of a rough time. Yes I would welcome them and encourage my DC to do so.

[Crinkle77]

I wouldn't feel anything and would be welcoming.

[WonderfulYou]

And the Mumsnet award of most pointless thread ever goes to …the op for this one

I agree.
Either OPs a journalist or she was hoping to ruffle some feathers and it hadn’t exactly gone to plan which is why she’s not been back.

[MrsSkylerWhite]

Marianne1234

And the Mumsnet award of most pointless thread ever goes to …the op for this one

Not entirely pointless. It’s given all the virtue signallers an opportunity to shine!“

If you really do believe that people who don’t differentiate between human beings are virtue signallers, you’re one cynical individual.

Please explain why anyone would reply other than to say treat them just like they anyone else? (because they are exactly that).

Seriously, if you honestly believe that people who welcome refugees are virtue signalling, you’re lacking something.

[ohfook]

How would you feel op?

[rainrainraincamedowndowndown]

They have been through a lot. It's a good opportunity to talk about world affairs with children. Would love to help, and my dc to help them feel at home as much as possible.

[julieca]

When I was at school some vietnamese children joined who came over as refugees - the news was full at the time of Vietnamese refugees. My mum told me they wouldn't speak English and to be kind. That was it. It doesn't need a lot of head space you know.

[Milomonster]

I’m working with Afghan refugee mothers. Many of their kids speak good English. We mustn’t forget that a lot of development took place in Afghanistan and there was a massive drive to improve education.

[MrsLargeEmbodied]

emotional
i still feel emotional about a syria refugee family who i know

[HolidayTime2021]

I find it almost unbelievable that this is a an issue

Where do you live that the school has not had any refugees or economic migrants before?

Children arriving from overseas has been very much part of the UK culture for the past 15 years.

[Marianne1234]

I have no issue with the ones who say they’d treat them like anyone else. That’s the same response.

The virtue signallers are the ones who would “sooooo excited” and talking about how they would patronise the living shite out of them in the school playground.

[1910username]

How old is your child?

Maybe get them to read The Boy at the Back of the class so that they understand this child’s situation and how she/he may be feeling.

[Greenmarmalade]

@lostmyvoice1 that’s incredibly sad. Im so sorry you went through that.

[WhenISnappedAndFarted]

@DazzlePaintedBattlePants

Given that children at our naice middle class village primary racially abused a child in reception, I’m not confident that a minority wouldn’t spout anti immigration, racist nonsense at the child, learnt at their parents’ knee.

I admire the optimism in this thread, but I don’t share it.

I have worked with refugee children in a naice middle class area and I experienced the opposite. They were welcomed with open arms from both parents and children. This was 8 years ago so maybe it's an out of date story.

[Unihorn]

@HolidayTime2021

I find it almost unbelievable that this is a an issue

Where do you live that the school has not had any refugees or economic migrants before?

Children arriving from overseas has been very much part of the UK culture for the past 15 years.

There are hundreds of areas of the UK that would not have had refugees or economic migrants. North Wales is 97% white, fairly certain it would be obvious if a refugee family moved to the area. I'm surprised people are shocked that not everywhere in the UK is the same.

[LinoVentura]

what would annoy me though is if locals who have lived in the community for many years cannot get school places for their children and refugees are given priority and get the school place instead.

I'm angry just thinking about it! Coming over here and accepting school places for their children. I'm not racist, but who do they think they are?

[Supersimkin2]

I was at a junior school where every revolution on the news, class got bigger.

For various reasons we got everyone who'd arrived in Central London suddenly and spoke French.

No one batted an eyelid - we all got on fine from day 1. School lunches were a highlight cos they were justly renowned in the area, which helped bonding no end.

The strongest glue to bond, though, was common language - in our class of 31 most of us had the teaching language as a second language. So we all had a few words of one common language.

Children learn languages incredibly fast, trauma or not, so concentrate on the snacks and light chat. Not the doom and gloom.

[JunoMcDuff]

@LinoVentura

what would annoy me though is if locals who have lived in the community for many years cannot get school places for their children and refugees are given priority and get the school place instead.

I'm angry just thinking about it! Coming over here and accepting school places for their children. I'm not racist, but who do they think they are?

Please tell I'm reading this sarcasm correctly.

[Hesma]

Seriously???? Is this a wind up????

I’d hope my children would be kind to them, play with them and make sure they’re not left out. I’d feel happy that a child has been rescued from such a difficult life. I’d give the mum a friendly smile as that’s a universal sign of friendship which doesn’t need a common language and I’d feel grateful that I was born in this country.