“Start ins Deutsche” – Students Teach German to Refugees at Goethe University Frankfurt

Refugees' gendered experiences of education in Europe since 2015: A scoping review

“…As such, they were said to keep to their own spaces or create their own learning communities—just as Bradley et al. (2020) also found among refugee women pursuing teacher professional development in Sweden, and Gereke and Nijhawan (2019) found among women taking a language course in Germany. Elsewhere in Sweden, Bergnehr et al.…”

“…Hunt (2021), for example, documents how in Greece, additional responsibilities such as childcare, domestic tasks and being the head of a household (often due to the loss or absence of a male family member) can hamper refugee women's ability to participate in education. Similarly, childcare was a barrier for refugee women taking part in a language programme in Germany (Gereke & Nijhawan, 2019). The phenomenon of feeling isolated was reported by refugee women in Iceland, due to being far from family in their home countries, and even though they felt safe and had established some social relationships with other refugees and Icelanders (Kristjánsdóttir & Skaptadóttir, 2019).…”

“…University students volunteering as teachers on one language programme in Germany, for their part, were predominantly young women themselves. This, according to Gereke and Nijhawan (2019), led to insecurity about cultural misconceptions during lessons and the nature of the teacher‐student relationship, as well as much time lost to discussions of gender issues.…”

“…Social and practical supports that also encourage attendance include communal spaces that foster interactions, and knowledgeable staff who can provide advice (Hunt, 2022). Gereke and Nijhawan (2019), too, found that specially-created 'safe spaces', in which girls' and women's concerns are taken seriously and care and assistance are provided, away from other male-dominated classrooms, significantly increased their participation in a language programme in Germany.…”