Our vision and purpose
Refugee Education Australia (REA) is a national charity that works to enhance educational opportunities and outcomes for students with lived experience of forced migration. Established in 2024, REA is a Public Benevolent Institution and not-for-profit public company limited by guarantee.
Vision
Our vision is an education system that is inclusive and promotes refugee students to thrive and achieve their potential.
Purpose
The aim of REA is to work with refugee communities, government department, settlement agencies, and education providers to support people with lived experience of forced migration to access, participate, and succeed in education, from early childhood to higher education.
To this end, REA’s mission is:
- To work with refugees, refugee-led organisations, community/ settlement organisations, and education institutions, departments, and organisations to support people with lived experience of forced migration to access, participate, and succeed in education in Australia, from early childhood to higher education.
- To create a national network of people and organisations to support people with lived experience of forced migration to access, participate, and succeed in education.
- To foster awareness in the education sector of issues relating to the experiences of people who have experienced forced migration through training, workshops and sharing of educational resources and good practices.
- To fundraise to provide financial and other forms of assistance for people who are current or prospective students who have lived experience of forced migration.
- Advocates with and for people with lived experience of forced migration to participate in education in Australia.
Our operating principles
- REA should seek at least 50% lived experience of forced migration on the Board and in governance practices.
- A key principle underlying our work is to prioritise the lived experience (of refugees, young people, mature age learners, all types of education).
- We engage with refugee community groups to amplify the message through their networks.
