Between 2011 and 2016, nearly 200 000 children and young people arrived in the Nordic countries as asylum seekers, either unaccompanied or with their families. The most important platform for inclusion and integration of newly arrived children and young people is school.

We know from research that completing primary education is the single most important protective factor for a number of social problems, regardless of a family’s socioeconomic background. There are many young people in the Nordic countries today who have not completed secondary education or vocational training; their employment prospects are significantly impaired, and they are at greater risk of social exclusion.

Newly arrived children and young people must have the same opportunities as their peers to become established in the employment market in the future, to earn a steady income and play an active part in society. There is every reason, therefore, to mobilise and to study what has been learned from research and practical experience to see how we can create suitable conditions for learning and inclusion in school.

In this publication we have interviewed researchers and practitioners with extensive experience and knowledge of this field. We hope that their experiences will provide inspiration and ideas to advance the important work that is being done now and in the future.