Leading learning for SA's African kids
by
Michele Nardelli
In
recent years more than 1000 children have arrived from some of Africa's
worst trouble spots to begin new lives in South Australia. Most have
survived war, famine and trauma and many have seen things that are
inconceivable to their school buddies. Many come here as orphans and are
looked after by relatives, friends or acquaintances in tight knit
communities that proudly “look after their own”.
UniSA students formerly from Sudan are keen to make a difference for students struggling to adjust to life and study in a new country.
Social work student Peter Agalla and marketing and international student Emmanuel Tongun want to help.
“Many young Africans are ambitious. They want to do well at school – they have strong aspirations because they see moving to a new and safe place as a real opportunity,” Agalla said.
“The problems arise when they cannot achieve what they and those around them expect of them.
“The teenagers especially struggle with English language from the word go because the people looking after them often don’t speak English, they lack the support required to succeed, especially in the more difficult subjects they take on.”
Agalla said that the burden for younger primary school children is that they pick up the language so quickly they often become the one English speaking member of a family group and are called upon to act as interpreters when they should be studying or at school.
Tongun said the fallout from not coping with study is often troubling, especially among young boys who tend to drop out of school rather than fail.
“Apart from the initial English language training students get for a few months, there is not much one-to-one support for young students,” he said.
“When they move to a regular school the frustrations can be a bit explosive for some students.”
In a bid to turn this around the pair have hit on the idea of establishing a special after school study centre in Prospect for African teenagers and they are hoping to get fellow students to help out.
“There are teaching and sociology students and other students who may want to get involved for the important experience it will give them and we want to hear from them,” Agalla said.
“We are not in a position to pay tutors but we hope to find some volunteers that will help us get this project off the ground. Once we have hit on a model that works we want to encourage other schools to set up this kind of support structure for African students.”
Agalla and Tongun want to talk to any UniSA students who are interested in getting involved in this exciting project from the ground up.
“The African community as a whole has a strong ambition to become a successful part of the local community,” Agalla said.
“This kind of work with children during these critical years in their education can make the difference between success and failure.”
Anyone interested in the project can contact Peter Agalla on
agapf001@students.unisa.edu.au