12 – Integration of Newcomers in Saskatchewan Schools: The Role of Settlement Wo
12 – Integration of Newcomers in Saskatchewan Schools: The Role of Settlement Workers
Victoria Oldershaw
Introduction
Saskatchewan welcomes thousands of immigrants to the province every year. In 2014 these immigrants increased the province’s population growth by 76%, with the addition of 11,826 newcomers (Ministry of the Economy Government of Saskatchewan, 2014). Although the majority of immigrants entering Saskatchewan settle in large urban centers such as Regina and Saskatoon, the Government of Saskatchewan reported that “from 2012 to 2014, 292 Saskatchewan communities saw the arrival of immigrants who were migrating from 158 different countries” (Ministry of the Economy Government of Saskatchewan, 2014, p. 5).
Newcomers seek to contribute positively to their new communities, but there are challenges immigrants face regarding settlement and integration. As immigrant populations continue to grow in the province, there is a need for settlement and integration programs that target school-aged newcomers attending schools in Saskatchewan, especially in smaller urban centers and rural communities. A collaborative approach is recommended – one that links settlement service providers, Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS), and communities across the province – in order to help newcomer families with children to navigate and succeed in a new culture and education system.
Rationale for Social Inclusion and Integration of Newcomers
Omidvar & Richmond stressed that “social inclusion” is an important part of the settlement and integration process for new immigrants, describing the need to “dismantle barriers” and “risks” by focusing on “basic notions of belonging, acceptance, and recognition (2003, p. 1). Successful social inclusion of newcomers to a country “would be represented by the realization of full and equal participation in the economic, social, cultural and political dimensions of life in their new country” (Omidvar & Richmond, 2003, p. 1). Settlement services within Saskatchewan communities aid immigrants in the social inclusion process; “the provision of these services is essential both to ensuring the effective settlement of newcomers and maintaining public support for the continuing high levels of immigration” (Omidvar & Richmond, 2003, p. 7). The Government of Saskatchewan funds eleven Newcomer Gateways located in urban centers with varying populations. These Service Providing Organizations (SPOs) offer settlement and integration services to newcomers across the province. These SPOs offer services relating to housing, employment, education, health, transportation, budgeting and finance, and social supports such as connecting newcomers with community groups that share ethno-cultural background, faith, language, or interests.
Settlement Needs and Integration of School-Aged Children
Many immigrants settling in communities all over the province include families with school-aged children. For many immigrant families, “the challenges of resettlement