Simone Cassidy

Simone is passionate about improving educational outcomes for young people who have arrived in Australia as refugees. As an Education and Training Advisor in the Refugee Minor Program (RMP) within the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Victoria) Simone plays a vital role in supporting the education of young people who are unaccompanied humanitarian minors.

While young people who arrive in Australia as refugees face immense challenges, Simone recognises their strengths and capabilities. Inspired by their commitment to education, she supports these students to explore their educational options and attain their goals. Simone’s practice is informed by the voices of young people, and she has led a research study at the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture that explored refugee-background students’ insights into their educational experiences.

In Simone’s advocacy for unaccompanied humanitarian minors, she has observed that refugee-background learners who have a learning difficulty or disability often fall through the gaps. In response, Simone is particularly interested in how systemic changes to policy and practice can better support these students.

Simone draws on her extensive experience in classroom teaching, teacher training, and qualitative research to advocate for a rights-based approach to supporting refugee-background learners. In 2022, in recognition of her work within the RMP, Simone was awarded the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Excellence Award.  

Simone has worked in education in Australia, Japan and Papua New Guinea and holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma of Education from the University of Melbourne, and a Masters of Asian Studies from Monash University. 

Simone is excited to collaborate with educators both within Australia and in the United Kingdom to strengthen education supports for refugee-background learners, especially those with additional learning needs.