Sudanese Supplementary School

~ History ~

Background

The origins of supplementary and mother-tongue schools in Great Britain can be associated with the presence of immigrant and refugee children in British schools, which goes back hundreds of years. The Armenian refugees, for example, settled in Britain 700 years ago: the French Hugenots came in the 17th century, and the Jews from Eastern Europe entered Britain between 1880 and 1914(Rutter, J. (1996-) Refugees: We left because we had to”). But more recent developments in this area of supplementary education can be largely attributed to the efforts of Black and Asian communities in this country. The contributions from various communities to the distinct history of supplementary and mother-tongue schooling in Britain are both profound and complex. Suffice to say that the provision has never ceased but has always been transformed to respond to communities changing needs.”

However, supplementary and mother-tongue schools remain minority ethnic groups endeavours and the term “ethnic” does influence the attitude towards these schools. But it is essential to emphasise that the term should be reclaimed from negative connotations such as “underdeveloped” or “foreign and exotic” interests to what it should really imply: a historical continuity of cultural identity and language shared by a group of people. Additionally culture is not static and change is inevitable.

In general, supplementary schools are non-profit-making organisations, frequently registered as charities that often rely on enthusiastic and able members of the community as well as on the generosity of funders to operate and progress.

Their main aims, in general, are:

*Developing their child’s cultural identity, self-esteem and confidence.

*Promoting the achievement of their children in state-maintained schools.

Most supplementary and mother-tongue schools are run for three to four hours a week in youth clubs, community centres, places of worship, state-maintained schools or colleges. Yet they operate almost in isolation from the Local Education Authorities or mainstream schools themselves.

It was under-achievement amongst minority ethnic children in state-maintained schools that necessitated contemporary supplementary education. Nonetheless, the service was questioned by many, both inside and outside the education arena. Just as the need for supplementary schools was questioned, so was the need for developing mother tongue. Its cognitive importance, for example, was overlooked for long. But fortunately educationalists are now more aware of the fact that children whose first language is disregarded and discouraged tent to develop low self-esteem, which in turn can lead to under-achievement. Moreover, bilingual and multilingual children may develop better social skills than monolingual children.

The value of mother tongue and supplementary education cannot be underestimated. The strong cultural input, including lessons in history and culture, give children a real sense of their position in society. As such, supplementary education has much to offer to the state-maintained schools and to the advancement of their efforts.

Article 30 of the Rights of the Child adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1989 states: “In those states in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities or persons of indigenous origin exist, a child belonging to such a minority or who is indigenous shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion or to use his or her own language”.

Furthermore, the 1997 EEC directive of which the UK is a signatory obliges member states to promote the teaching of mother tongue. It would be short sighted not to benefit from the rich linguistic resources at our disposal when there are more than300 minority languages spoken by school-age children in London alone. (Towards more effective Supplementary and Mother-tongue Schools (in England)} Second Edition by Mohamed Abdelrazak –ISBN Number: 0-9536272-3-3

Challenges and barriers

According to Charles Clarke, MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State: “The government believes that study support compliments classroom activities and helps young people to realise their full potential. This is why we are committed to extending range and quality of out of school hours learning activities”.

So supplementary schools can make a significant difference to achievement of all children. But to do so they will need understanding and support from various parties, authorities, communities, parents and funders. Their mission is not only about supporting children and young people in their academic potential. It is also about providing, developing, sustaining and celebrating cultural heritages. Supplementary education can help in building bridges between nations and cultures in addition to the more direct benefits of learning a mother tongue and appreciation the child’s cultural heritage.

About the Sudanese experiment

“Most probably the reasons why parents choose to send their children to mother-tongue or supplementary schools differ from one family to the other, but all seem to agree on the necessity of making the extra effort at weekends or after normal schools hours. Motives vary from wanting the child to learn the language because the parents intend to take their family home in a few years time or in the case of many who are residing permanently in the UK, they would like their children to communicate in their mother-tongue, or to appreciate their cultural history or for the sake of an additional foreign language. Whether Government of other do or do not do, it is eminently worthwhile for communities to consider their part in supplementary education; the SSS represents a new phenomenon with virtually no precedence in the Sudanese context in this country.

This renders it a trial and error experiment while the educational system as a whole is short of experience and knowledge in this field. Some of the most crucial challenges are financial insecurity, trained teachers and their adaptability, finding means for recognition and co-operation with the educational bodies and local mainstream schools.

The SSS, which started as a small mother-tongue class in 1991, with only a handful of children. The Hallfield Primary School, Queens’s way, London W 2, were kind enough to accommodate the School for 3 years. SSS joined the Voluntary Action Westminster Forum, on whose advice it developed into supplementary education. In 1994, it gained charitable status, with Registration NO. 1040959.

Due to expansion,SSS had to move to larger premises in The North Westminster Community School Upper House, Paddington in September 1994,and in 1998 SSS had to move again to larger premises in City of Westminster College Paddington Green.

Over 250 children from the Sudanese, African and various Arabic- speaking communities from Greater London Boroughs and from adjacent counties are attending classes. Enrolment starts from age four to the completion of GCSE.s at 16+. In addition to classes in Arabic, English, Maths. , and Cultural Studies, a range musical tuition, social and sporting activities are organised by the school. To that extent the school provides an important focus for the Sudanese community in London.

Each year is another milestone for the Sudanese Supplementary School as it sets higher standards while its crop of dedicated teachers and other volunteers pursue its project. The Parents Management Committee which is elected annually has always welcomed advice and help from parents, professionals and from supportive funders. One of such reliable supporters is The Resource Unit for Supplementary and Mother-tongue Schools in London, which originated from research undertaken by the “Trust for London” in 1996. The research revealed that many supplementary and mother-tongue schools needed financial support as well as additional skills to obtain and handle funding and run classes more effectively. The Resource Unit was therefore founded as a charitable organisation to provide advice and training for such schools. The Unit operates with minority ethnic communities centres and groups, the Department for Education and Employment, Local Education Authorities, State-Maintained Schools, charitable organisations and higher and further education institutions. The Sudanese Supplementary School is a member of the Advisory Group to the Resource Unit, which produced the first Guidelines and Directory for Supplementary and Mother-tongue Schools in London.

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