Settling In Palmerston North and Feilding - Human Rights Commission

• ‘When my son try to explain what is the meaning of EAD ADHA (when we celebrate Hajj and scarified a lamb to give it to poor people) teacherand children laugh. My son embarrassed and came home crying and asking what is wrong in my talk.’• ‘There is a Russian language school.’• ‘There is social research taking place on immigrant children and how they are doing in local schools.’• ‘Classes are full of international students – local immigrant youth choose to go to AUT.’• ‘ESOL tutors do a lot of social support as well as English – PNCC could be involved in this as well as ESOL.’• ‘Muslim young people going on school camps pray 5 times per day – teachers don’t know how to deal with this or about halal food.’• ‘Subject support classes (ESS) for refugee and migrants.’• ‘In the school, we need the respect to become one of the issues that children should learn it. Not only using the good manners such as sayingthanks or pleases, but respect other culture believes and traditions.’• ‘Teachers should have correct background about other cultures to be able to make the distance short between NZ culture and others.’• ‘Lack of culture sensitivity (consideration of other languages ie. Arabic language) – one mother said that when her daughter took a class inCollege of Education, which she later on dropped it as she couldn’t stand being in the class – the daughter observation of the class was thestudents are not taught to be tolerance to other culture but Maori. Some lecturers are teaching students to generalise certain ethnic group ie.Chinese, Middle Eastern.’• ‘Religion practices at risk – prayers, dress code, fastings, diet, kids can’t go to Friday prayer because it happen during school time etc.’• ‘School council takes more approaches to help students.’• ‘Good support for kids at primary school level, but not as much in High School level.’• ‘Language issues for her children who spoke mostly Indonesian.’• ‘Racism/Bullying’• ‘School teachers appear arrogant – they always seem too busy to listen, and avoid talking to us (as migrant parents).’• ‘Child at school 7 yr old is slower at making friends with Kiwis, but quicker to be friends with other international students … not necessarily ofthe same background.’• ‘Children’s difficulty in getting used to the environment and they had to learn English to communicate with other people. Problem in socialisationwith playmates.’• ‘Some books at school contain wrong information about others. For example, there was a book talking about boy from Egypt who goes schoolwith camel. This information is completely wrong as we only have camels around historical places such as Pyramids just as a tourism tool. Ifchildren receive right information, it will make it different.’• ‘Schools were generally seen as helpful and happy places.’Focus Group Suggestions• Better information about the cultures of their newcomer students to make them more aware of the students’ needs andto help build tolerance in the classroom• Schools should make more effort to recognise the celebrations and festivities of other culturesHygiene in Schools• ‘Parents concern of the lack of personal hygiene at schools. For example, frequent flue and flea contagion at schools.’• ‘Include personal hygiene as a subject in schools. Regularly sanitise class rooms.’Focus Group Suggestions• Increased number of ECE places in Palmerston North to improve availability and options• Improved quality of ECE to better prepare pre-schoolers for primary schoolEarly Childhood Education• ‘Long waiting lists and lack of the playgroups and kindergartens in town was mentioned. It extends the waiting time for the parent to go back towork.’• ‘There is need for more quality kindergarten, more writing, better preparation for primary school. The standard in other countries is higher.’• ‘early childhood education (ECE): number of child care need to be increased as too many children are eligible for that.’Positive Opportunity• ‘My knowledge and skills allows me to have a good relationship with others. I enjoy being with my local friends and Kiwi friends. Socially andwork wise I enjoy participation and I do respect multicultural values and outlook and Treaty of Waitangi.’• ‘School works well for my children and the community is helpful in many ways.’• ‘ECE service (20 hours) is working well’• ‘domestic school fee for PhD students’• ‘Thanks for two years learning English at ETC. We much better improved and understand’• ‘High quality of education for children’• ‘For us parents, the problem was that it was difficult to find a job where we can actually be in our profession, and therefore we needed to grabwhatever job opportunity was at hand to earn a living. Pursuing further education through scholarships was very helpful in getting us to our lineof specialisation.’SETTLING IN PALMERSTON NORTH AND FEILDING55