Schooling Experiences of Migrant Learners from Democratic Republic of Congo in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

الملخص

Drawing on social constructionism as its theoretical paradigm, this article examines schooling experiences of 12, grades 8-12 migrant learners, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), cross three schools in Durban, South Africa. The socio-political and economic instability in many African countries have fueled forced migration where people involuntarily flee their home countries in order to overcome adversity. In the recent times, African migrants have continued to enter South Africa, despite a surge in xenophobic attacks, particularly targeted at African migrants in the country. Qualitative research approach was employed as the study methodology, and narrative individual and focus group interviews were used as its methods of data collection. The results showed that schooling experiences in South Africa of migrant learners from the DRC were filled with challenges: The issue of language limitations, stereotypes, sense of isolation and exclusion in school as a result of cultural and identity differences with South African learners. The findings indicated a dynamic scenario where some teachers and learners both were supportive and not supportive of the migrant learners in the schools. Some positive aspects of these learners’ schooling experiences included being exposed to better educational facilities and a better standard of education in South Africa than what they were used to in their home countries. Indeed, the migrant learners’ experiences in these South African schools were enriched with opportunities of learning from interacting with learners from different cultural, religious and racial backgrounds.