Integration of refugee children in kindergarten:Views of nursery teachers in the Prefecture of Chios

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the views of the preschool children of the island of Chios on the integration of refugee children in public kindergartens. Greece, due to its geographical position, is a country that hosts a large number of refugees and immigrants who were aiming to come to our country to improve their living standards and their living conditions (Gotovos, 2002; Damanakis, 1997). A particularly large wave in recent years has come from the east and the Arab countries, with the result that the islands of the North Aegean are welcoming refugees, who are gradually moving to the hinterland. After the massive arrival of refugees and immigrants in our country, the refugee issue is a major issue at all levels: economic, social, political, cultural. Especially after the summer of 2015 where there was an increasing number of refugees, the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs had announced a plan for the smooth integration of children into Greek education by 2016. The North Aegean islands receive daily refugees and immigrants who are staying at Refugee Hosted Centers.