Ann Corcoran (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently had the opportunity to host a young work experience student from a school in my electorate. Said Rahman Hashemi is a remarkable young man who came to Australia from Afghanistan in 2005. When Said arrived in Australia he had no English skills at all. After seven months of study at Noble Park English Language School, his command of the language is quite amazing. During his time in my office, Said wrote a brief summary of his life in Australia. I would like to read what he wrote, in his words. It starts off:

My Story

Hi, my name is Said Rahman and my family name is Hashemi.

I am from Afghanistan. My province is Paktai Said Qaram. I was born in Afghanistan. I am eighteen years old. My date of birth is 10/10/1988. I read school in Afghanistan just for six years. I have a father and a mother and I have two sisters and three brothers.

I came to Australia in 2005. The first time when I came to Australia I was really unhappy because everything was changed for me.

I couldn’t speak English, the costume was different and the culture was different. Now I am very happy in Australia because I know on everything, but I have problem with English language; not too much—little little.

Now I am studying at Noble Park English Language school. I am very happy in that school. I have good teachers and good friends at that school.

Now I live with my parents—I love them and they love me. I love my brothers and sisters.

Now I live in Dandenong South.

My favourite subjects are English, computers, history and science. My favourite sports are volleyball, soccer and cricket.

In my free time I watch T.V and sometimes I watch Indian movies. I speak Pushta at my home. I am very happy to come to this office and to do work experience here—I proved of this I will be very brave to finish my work here.

Said is one of thousands of migrant children who have benefited enormously from their time at Noble Park English Language School. Noble Park English Language School provides an intensive English language program for recently arrived migrants and refugees. It also provides a strong welfare program. All the staff are strongly committed to providing the students and their families with a good start in their new country and assisting in the transition process.

The school was first established in 1979 as a summer school for around 200 new arrivals residing at the Enterprise Hostel in Springvale. By 1980, with a growing number of new arrivals in the area, the school became established as a centre at the old Noble Park Primary School site in Buckley Street, Noble Park. The total number of students rose to between 300 and 400. With its further ongoing success, the centre officially became the Noble Park English Language School in 1989. By 1995, the need for more space and modern facilities saw the school move to its current site at Thomas Street. Presently, the school caters for around 250 to 300 primary and secondary students at a time.

At any one time the school has students representing over 40 language groups. Classes are small, with approximately 13 students per class, and the ages of students range from five to 18. Typically a student will start school at Noble Park as soon as they arrive in Australia and will stay for a period of some months to a year. Once the student has mastered the language, they move on to a regular school or TAFE at an appropriate level for their age and interests.

Noble Park English Language School is a friendly and exciting community. The school has a number of multicultural aides, who act as a wonderful link between the school and the home. I am very proud to have a longstanding relationship with this school. Without the education and support provided by this school, people like Said would have a much tougher start in our country. The staff at Noble Park are to be congratulated for the enormous effort they put into each and every one of their students. They are tireless in their work and in their dedication to their job, and that dedication shows in the positive attitude the students have and in their success.

On a different note, I would like to wish my grandson Declan a happy birthday. Declan is Tim and Linda’s son and is Tom’s little brother. He will be four on Thursday. The family is gathering on Thursday to celebrate Declan’s birthday but, for the third year in a row, parliament is sitting on his birthday and I will not be part of that group. Nevertheless, I am sure Declan will have a very good day and we all wish him a happy birthday.