Challenges for schools in communities with internal migration flows: evidence from Turkey

Turkey is a country that has experienced and continues to experience a dramatic degree of both rural-to-urban and inter-regional internal migration. Migrants tend to settle in gecekondu areas in either established inner-city neighborhoods or in newer squatter settlements built on undeveloped land bordering rural areas on the urban periphery. Schools in these areas are invariably impacted by this extensive and unplanned internal migration. This study aimed to examine the challenges facing schools located in migrant communities in Turkey. The findings show that such schools are likely to be resource-poor, overcrowded urban facilities that face challenges related to poor school quality, low academic achievement of students, intercultural issues related to the diverse student population and a lack of parental awareness regarding education and child development. Students were also reported to suffer from malnutrition and a lack of adequate physiological and emotional support. Furthermore, teachers attributed the physiological, psycho-social and academic shortcomings of children mainly to their poor language skills, the low socio-economic status of families and household poverty.