Identity, ethnicity and school experiences: relocated Montserratian students in British Schools.
Refuge › Vol. 23 Nbr. 1, January 2006
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Identity, ethnicity and school experiences: relocated Montserratian students in British Schools.
Abstract
This paper explores the issues of identity and ethnicity that confront relocated Montserratian students in British schools. It begins with a brief historical review of the ongoing volcanic crisis, then explains the circumstances within which the issues are framed. The paper argues that the merging of "old" and "new" forms of identity and ethnicity has affected relocated students' aspirations in various ways. Montserrat's education system evolved out of a colonial British-based curriculum that encouraged particular morals, which are not apparent in the British school system. These values remain an integral part of the Montserrat mores and thus are recognized as central to the island identity. In adjusting to their new cultural environment, relocated students have donned new identities that have inevitably clashed with traditional norms. This paper therefore explains how they have negotiated their ethnic/racial identities in relation to school and home, and how they have crafted new identities, while at the same rime trying to maintain a desired level of "Montserratness." The assessment and inferences made in this paper are based on formal and informal research conducted with relocated Montserratians, particularly students and their parents/guardians, in different regions, but the main location is London. Resume L'article se penche sur les questions d'identite et d'ethnicite avec lesquelles les eleves montserratiens deplaces sont aux prises dans les ecoles britanniques. Il s'ouvre sur un apercu historique de l'importante crise en cours, puis explique les circonstances entourant ces questions. L'auteure affirme que le melange d' > et de > formes identitaires et ethniques a transforme les aspirations des eleves de diverses facons. Le systeme d'education montserratien a evolue d'un programme issu du colonialisme britannique qui favorisait une moralite particuliere, laquelle ne transparait pas dans le systeme scolaire britannique. Ces valeurs font partie integrante des moeurs montserratiennes et sont donc considerees comme centrales a l'identite de l'ile. En s'ajustant a leur nouvel environnement culturel, les eleves deplaces se sont forge de nouvelles identites qui sont fatalement entrees en conflit avec les normes traditionnelles. L'article propose par consequent une explication de la maniere dont les eleves ont negocie leur identite ethnique ou raciale relativement a l'ecole et a la famille et se sont cree de nouvelles identites, tout en essayant de maintenir un degre acceptable de >. Les evaluations et deductions contenues dans cet article s'appuient sur des recherches formelles et informelles menees aupres des Montserratiens, en particulier des eleves et de leurs parents ou tuteurs issus de differentes regions, London etant la ville principale des investigations. Montserratians we call ourselves Colonists they call us No anthem No flag No heroes A people constantly searching A nat...See the full content of this document
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