| Abstract [eng] |
The number of children who have been granted asylum in Lithuania has been growing rapidly in recent years. Thus, there is an increasing need to improve the integration of the children who join Lithuanian education system through effective integration measures. As the number of arriving third-country nationals is on a particular rise, including people from neighbouring Belarus and those fleeing the war in Ukraine, it is becoming increasingly important to talk about social integration of the coming children. This master's thesis analyses the evaluations of mothers who were granted asylum in Lithuania on their children's participation in non-formal education activities. Aim: to study the participation of children who were granted asylum in Lithuania in non-formal education activities and their mothers' evaluations of such an activity by using theoretical approaches to social capital. Tasks: to analyse the scientific literature and the legal acts to describe the concepts of asylum seekers and non-formal education of children, to present the theoretical concepts of social capital and their essential features; to find out the opinion of mothers who were granted asylum in Lithuania; to examine the possibilities of participation in non-formal education activities, the reasons for non-participation, the motivation of mothers and children; to provide an analysis of the evaluation of experiences. A qualitative study was performed. The chosen data-collection method was a semi-structured interview. 8 interviews were conducted with asylum-seeking mothers whose children attended educational institutions in Lithuania. The method of data analysis used was qualitative content analysis. After examining the evaluations of mothers who were granted asylum in Lithuania about the opportunities for their children to participate in non-formal education activities, the main aspects such as the opportunities for participation in non-formal education activities, reasons for non-participation, motivation and cultural differences emerged. The children felt less isolated when attending non-formal education activities. They had the opportunity to communicate more with their peers, make acquaintances, develop personal skills, and socialize. The main reasons for absenteeism were: inappropriate and inconvenient hours, inconvenient logistics, stigmatization, ignorance, lack of help, paid circles, unemployment, and difficult financial situation. Research has shown that a family’s access to help depended on good relationships with the community. Strong connections provided emotional support, confidence, and higher self-esteem, and it was important for mothers to build and maintain strong relationships with the community, other families, and professionals from a variety of institutions or organizations. Interest in possible help networks, communication, family relationships depended on the cultural characteristics, attitudes, and different characteristics of the mothers who were granted asylum. |
