Challenges Facing Children and Youth Newcomers to Canada’s Education System

Students will compose a Newcomer Children and Youth in Canada Term Essay. To do so, they will select a particular topic and compose an essay that answers the following research question:
How effectively have institutions and actors in Canada supported newcomer children and youth in the country?
The list of topics to choose from may include the course topics; law, settlement services, identity, education, health, poverty, and social exclusion. They may also be a topic that is not listed here, but be sure to consult with the instructor first. Recognizing that many of these topics intersect, it is certainly possible and understandable to include a few. But be sure to strive to focus on one particular topic generally and how that topic may relate to an additional topic. For instance, if the overall topic is on newcomers and settlement services, it is perfectly understandable to include how settlement services assist newcomer children and youth in educational support. The goal is to maintain a focus on the role of settlement services while acknowledging how they impact education.
This assignment will be 8 written pages in length. It will be written in Times New Roman size 12 font and double-spaced. It will include a title page and reference page. It also requires references using the APA citation guide Seventh Edition which you can follow on the course Blackboard page. The paper should include at least 7 academic sources (books, journal articles) and 10 sources in total.
In preparing your response, students will require following a formal academic essay format:
(i) An introduction with a topic sentence, background context, thesis and framework.
(ii) Three body sections that include a sub-topic sentence advancing the thesis (point), academic evidence (proof) and analytical discussion (explanation).
(iii) A conclusion that rephrases the thesis, highlights each of the sub-topics and concludes the overall argumentation. A more detailed example is provided below.
Research Question
Question – How effectively has Canada supported newcomer children and youth in relation to the law?
Introduction
Introductory Topic Sentence – Canada projects itself as a country that upholds a legal commitment to multiculturalism in welcoming newcomers, including children and youth, to the country.
Background Context – From a global vantage point, there is definitive evidence to support the contention that Canada’s immigration process includes many positive features. Nevertheless, there are also a number of legal practices which significantly undermine the welcoming narrative that Canada tells itself and the world. This is particularly evident in the case of unaccompanied minors to Canada.
Thesis Statement – Therefore, this paper will demonstrate that Canada is significantly violating the rights of unaccompanied minors to the country.
Framework – Such circumstances will become evident by exploring the legal rights of unaccompanied minors upon arrival to the country, the detention that they experience, and their rights to a refugee hearing.
Body of the Essay – Requires 3 sections that may include 2-3 arguments per section. Below is 1 argument example within 1 body section.
Section # 2 – Detention of Unaccompanied Minors
Point – The rights of unaccompanied minors to Canada are significantly violated by the experience of detention that they often go through.
Proof – The practice of detaining unaccompanied minors is a direct violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), including Article 6, the Best Interest of the Child (Denov and Fennig, 2020, 138).
Explanation* – As a signatory to the UNCRC, Canada is obligated to uphold the articles agreed upon within the international legislation. It is designed to advance a base level of children’s rights standards across the globe. By failing to account for the detrimental impact that detention can have on an unaccompanied minor, Canada is failing to uphold the universal rights that all children are entitled to. If the country aims to advance a welcoming ethic to newcomers, it is vital that it does not undermine the rights of unaccompanied minors as doing so clearly demonstrates a failure to support the rights of newcomer children and youth in relation to the law.
Conclusion*
It has become clear that the experience of newcomer children and youth to Canada experience significant violations of their legal rights. This essay has aimed to demonstrate the realities of such circumstances highlighting their arrival, detention, and hearing experiences. For instance, upon arrival, it has been shown that many newcomer children and youth may feel a sense of criminalization when making a claim for asylum is a perfectly legal process that they are entitled to. Over the course of their detention, there are significant limitations to their well-being including the . Finally, during hearing experiences, children and youth may not have the ability to participate to the extent that they wish. These three areas for exploring children, youth, and the law certainly challenge the overarching assumption of Canada’s welcoming nature calling for the absolute necessity to improve the rights of unaccompanied minors.