annual report 2010 –2011 - Multicultural Development Association

Improvement to the education system for CALD students
In June 2010 MDA provided a submission to the Inquiry into the administration and reporting
of NAPLAN testing which raised key challenges experienced by refugee and migrant students
undertaking NAPLAN testing. MDA recommended that specific data around students with a
Language Background Other than English (LBOTE) be collected during the NAPLAN testing
process and publicly reported to enable targeted support to be provided to those groups
and to ensure greater transparency.
The Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations References Committee, in its report
arising from the Inquiry, noted issues raised by MDA and others about those challenges and
supported the collection of more specific data about LBOTE students to ensure appropriate
support is available to them. MDA welcomed the Committee’s recommendation that the
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority analyse and report publicly on
how NAPLAN tests are serving different groups of LBOTE students.
Improving support services for CALD communities during disasters
Following Queensland’s devastating January 2011 floods, we made a submission to the
Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry. MDA’s submission provided recommendations to
improve disaster preparation and support for refugee and CALD communities, including the
need for translated information. Our submission was noted in the Commission of Inquiry’s
August 2011 Interim Report, and MDA welcomed the Commission’s recommendation:
Using his experience to help others
When the Senate Inquiry into Multiculturalism met recently in Brisbane, an MDA client, Omar Al-
Saloom, was able to tell the Inquiry panel of his struggle to practice his profession in Australia—an
experience shared by many new arrivals. Omar’s willingness to appear before the panel and tell
his story firsthand is a powerful means of advocacy.
After fleeing his home country of Iraq, in August 2009 Omar was accepted as a refugee to Australia
and began his resettlement in Brisbane. In Iraq, and later in Jordan, where Omar and his family
awaited resettlement, he was a dentist, and had hoped to continue his profession in Australia.
Despite having a professional background and excellent English, Omar was unable to obtain
employment and realised the journey to becoming a dentist in Australia would take significant
amounts of time and work. He experienced great frustration and disappointment.
Finally, he decided to look for work in other industries and registered with MDA Job Preparation
services. He was encouraged to apply for the Work Placement Program and was successful in his
application. Omar’s enthusiasm and commitment to his work resulted in him being offered full
time work with a department of his host organisation, the Ethnic Communities Council Queensland.
“It has been a great journey and a great experience …. I can say without any exaggeration that they
gave me my life back”.
‘that the Queensland Government and councils should ensure information about emergency
preparedness, warnings and evacuation is available in the different languages of ethnic groups
in the community and in Auslan’.
Better outcomes for refugees through evidence based advocacy
MDA has directly advocated with government departments on systemic issues.
For example, in early 2011 MDA advocated to Education Queensland about failure by some
schools to engage interpreters, using six recent cases as evidence. As a direct result Education
Queensland agreed to remind schools about interpreter services and guidelines in its ‘School’s
Update’.
Positive media engagement
MDA has worked to engage positively with all forms of the media about asylum seekers and
refugees. The aim has been to highlight the valuable contributions that refugees and asylum
seekers make to Australia in a year where asylum seekers were again a sensitive and often
negative issue.
For example, many of our refugee communities were active contributors to the flood clean
up and were keen to reach out to their fellow Queenslanders to provide a helping hand.
Positive media attention also resulted in significantly increasing the numbers at this year’s
World Refugee Day Festival.
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