Sunday April 2, 2017
By Guy Stayner
Photo: Maribyrnong College school captain Mohamed Semra (left) speaks glowingly of teacher's aide Alor Deng. (ABC News: Margaret Burin)
A Melbourne school has enlisted two multilingual African teacher-aides to help reach parents, after a racial profiling incident highlighted difficulties faced by first generation students.
In 2015, Maribyrnong College school captain Mohamed Semra and classmate Abdulahi Haji Ali were among six students evicted from an Apple store, attracting international media attention.
Mohamed said store staff identified the group as thieves based on the colour of their skin.
"We got singled out because of our appearance," he said.
Principal Nick Scott said the incident contributed to Maribyrnong's decision to employ Alor Deng from South Sudan and Ahmed Ali Somali from Somalia to support its African students.
Mr Scott believes the aides will help keep the school's 65 African-Australian students in class for longer and significantly improve their educational experience and results.
In recent years about half of African heritage boys at the school have dropped out by Year 12.
"We want to be able to claim 100 per cent retention of our students over the course of their high school time, and with them feeling that school is a safe and welcoming place for them," Mr Scott said.
After initially being viewed with suspicion by some students, Mr Deng and Mr Somali have gradually been able to forge meaningful relationships with the teenagers and their parents.
"We become bonded together with the student because they open up to us and we also are opening up to them," Alor Deng said.
Mohamed speaks glowingly about the program.
Photo: Mohamed Semra (front) was among six students evicted from an Apple store in 2015. (ABC News: Margaret Burin)
"Alor is Sudanese — I'm also Sudanese, so Alor knows the things that I might have gone through," he said
School letters difficult to understand
While the cultural and social connections being cultivated at the school are important, the biggest breakthrough has been basic communication with parents.
Mr Scott said many parents could not understand school letters written in English.
"Having the aides being able to speak in four languages and directly communicate via a dedicated mobile phone number has helped a lot," he said.
"The parents have been more comfortable ringing that number knowing they'll get the aide, knowing they won't even have to navigate the 'press one' style approach on our school phone system."
Mr Deng speaks to Mohamed's mother in Arabic.
"Not being able to speak English, parents don't really understand what your teacher's saying," Mohamed said.
Photo: Teacher's aide Alor Deng communicates with parents in their first languages. (ABC News: Margaret Burin)
"They might say 'oh, yeah OK' but they don't really understand."
Maribyrnong reports student progress to parents every five weeks.
The integration aides now take responsibility for reporting to African parents to ensure no child is left behind.
Ahmed Ali Somali speaks to Abdulahi Haji Ali's mother in Somali.
"[Ahmed] calls my mum and says 'oh he's behind on homework'. My mum can understand and therefore implement it in the house and tell me do my homework," Abdulahi said.
Maribyrnong's African mentoring program is also developing videos to educate its students and staff about racism.
One video re-enacts a time when a teacher called two African students "partners in crime".
Photo: Tofic El Tahir, 12, (centre) is one of 65 African-Australian students at Maribyrnong College. (ABC News: Margaret Burin)
With current reporting of African crime gangs and little knowledge of the phrase's common use in English, Mohamed said the teacher unwittingly offended African students.
The 18-year-old said there are two things that create racism: ignorance and fear.
Early signs indicate the $50,000 program is being successful and will continue next year.
Mr Scott said he hoped Maribyrnong could appoint its first African-Australian teacher in the very near future.
"We're definitely seeing them entering university now, so it won't be long before we'll get a bigger group of people doing this work who could be involved in other schools in the future."