Abstract: The debate surrounding the so called minority education in the UK has been with us for more than half a century, ever since the first groups of migrant workers’ children began appearing in UK schools in significant numbers during the 1950s. Successive government policies of assimilation and integration were mainly influenced by the ‘melting pot’ argument from the USA, and around the ‘unifying’ role of the English Language. Today, low levels of achievement amongst some students from linguistic minority communities are a concern for many educators, requiring considerations to adopt wider perspectives and strategies to tackle it.
This paper explores the dynamics of classroom interaction by adopting a perspective on multicultural pedagogy where students’ language and culture are seen as useful starting points for teaching complex academic concepts. By discussing some of the findings of a bilingual mathematics project the paper concludes that using students’ existing skills and experiences can have positive outcomes for learning cognitively demanding national curriculum subjects.
Biography: Dr. Issa has worked as a qualified primary school teacher and as an adviser for various Education Authorities for a number of years before his appointment as a senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University in 2003. He currently lectures on the Primary as well as Secondary (Modern Foreign Languages) teacher training programmes. He is the director of Centre for Multilingualism in Education, London Metropolitan University. Dr. Issa’s research interests include Ethnic Minority Education with an emphasis on language, culture and identity. He has written extensively in this area. His latest book co-authored with Claudette Williams is entitled ‘Realising Potential: Complementary schools in UK published by Trentham Books (2009).
Turkish-Speaking Immigrants in London and Football: Identity, Integration and Political Economy in the Field of Ethnic Football - by K. Onur Unutulmaz, ISCA/COMPAS, University of Oxford
Abstract: Although their number is difficult to estimate, it is certain that there is a significant Turkish-speaking community in London comprising Turkish-Cypriots, and Turks and Kurds from Turkey. Among many points of contact and interaction, amateur football appears to be one of the most significant social milieus. Among the hundreds of NGOs established by the Turkish-speaking communities, Turkish Community Football Federation (TCFF) is the only one that could mobilize some 2,000 people ever weekend including players, media workers and spectators. The successful growth of and attention attracted by TCFF since 1976, has encouraged the Kurdish community to establish their own federation and organize their own leagues in 1992. A large number of neighbourhood of origin clubs have been joined by clubs owned by various institutions including Mosques, the Cemevi and Community Associations.
There are three main research questions in this on-going ethnographic research: (i) how are individual/ethnic/religious/national identities (re)produced, presented and negotiated; (ii) what implications does organized amateur football have on the ‘integration’ of Turkish-speaking immigrants in London; and (iii) how is football instrumentalized in trying to keep the relations between the ‘home’ and the diaspora?
Biography: K. Onur Unitilmaz is a DPhil candidate in Anthropology, at the University of Oxford. He is affiliated with the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology (ISCA) and the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS) of the Oxford University. His research aims at uncovering the complex processes of identitiy transformation in the understudies minority group of Turkish-speaking immigrants which is becoming more and more visible in London. He graduated with an MPhil in Migration Studies from Oxford University and an MA in International Relations from Koc University, Istanbul. He also holds undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Sociology from Bogazici University, Istanbul. In addition to having served as a research and teaching assistant in Bogazici and Koc Universities, Onur has presented several academic papers at various workshops and conferences including those at Harvard, University of Montreal, LSE, and Oxford. A Former President of the Oxford University Turkish Society and a fellow of the Weidenfeld Leadership Programme, Onur is also a Turkey fellow of the Transatlantic Forum on Migration and Integration (TFMI) organised by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and Heinrich Boll Foundation of Germany.
The Integration Experience of the Turkish Speaking Community and Educational Challenges Encountered - by Alev Yaman, London Centre for Social Studies (LCSS)
Abstract: In comparison to other European countries, the formation and structure of the Turkish speaking population in Britain is distinct. This has mainly been driven by differences in migration patterns and history. Hence, their integration experience and some of the challenges they face have somewhat been separate to those elsewhere in Europe. In her talk, Alev will provide a general overview of the socio-economic status of British-Turks. Low educational attainment and a lack of role models are amongst the most prevalent difficulties encountered by young people from the community, with only a very small minority in employment with employers outside their ethnicity. Alev will couple observations from the 'Raising Expectations' project at LCSS with her personal experience in the UK educational system. She will be focusing on themes examining the interplay between integration, identity and education.
Biography: Alev Yaman completed a BSc in Government and Economics at the London School of Economics and is now studying law at BPP Law School. At present, she is based at the London Centre for Social Studies (LCSS) and is working on a project entitled ‘Raising Expectations’, which aims to promote educational attainment amongst the Turkish speaking community in Britain. Previously, she has been actively involved in professional organizations including the Turkish British Legal Society (TBLS). As a second generation Turkish speaking professional raised in London, she has worked with Kurdish and Turkish youth groups to address some of the most pressing issues concerning the community.
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