How Important Are Supplementary Community Schools for Diasporic Communities - Essay Example

How important are Supplementary Community Schools for Diasporic Communities? How important are Supplementary Community Schools for Diasporic Communities? Supplementary community schools are those unique schools meant for all ethnic groups and do not work the same way as those maintained by the government. This means that they do not receive any funding from the government but through well-wishers as well as the fees paid by the registered students in the schools. These schools usually allocate free time to their students, out of the classroom situation so that they can freely interact with people from various cultures and religious affiliations. This free time is during weekends, holidays as well as evenings, when other students from governmental schools are in class or preparation time revising. Their being constructed is usually from the inspiration acquired from the community who realize the need to have a school in the locality. Apart from what the syllabus requires of them, these supplementary community schools offer lessons in areas culture, religion as well as the teaching of the local language. They also offer advice to the young people on issues to do with socialization, so that they can be useful and peaceful members of the society. This essay will, therefore, look at the importance of supplementary community schools in diasporic communities and how this enables the learners acquire education that is holistic. Reasons behind the start of Supplementary Community Schools 1. Educating on Culture, Traditions, and Identity As it is in the education system, the syllabus is followed strictly and contains only information relevant to the final exam. Most schools, especially those monitored closely by the government, are left with no chance integrate other values. Due to this, therefore, the community felt that the morality, culture, traditions and identity of the community was at stake and decided something had to get done (Cousins, 2005). The only way their culture, identity and traditions could get preserved was by starting a community school that could govern itself and not depend on government for support; so that the situation gets saved in good time. In the twentieth century for instance, various communities made history of culture preservation as well as language, through these supplementary schools. Such communities include the Jewish community, where emphasis was on the teaching of the Jewish traditions and culture; and up to now their culture is still intact. 2. Providing Holistic Education and Achievement It is also the gap left by the convectional system of education in terms of providing holistic education that contributed to the start of supplementary schools. Many communities such as the African-Caribbean felt the other system of education was not satisfying in terms of holistic education for the community (Conteh, 2003). Their main focus was on passing exams, without thinking of how important ones culture was. What is failure on their side is that the convectional schools do not realize that learning of individual cultures enables pupils to appreciate other people too. Since the state schools were also allegedly full of racism in their educational system, the black ethnic groups could not achieve academically. They, therefore, were left option but come up with supplementary schools for the black ethnic groups. In areas where under-achievement is also realized, the supplementary schools provide their pupils with extra education on the subjects like Mathematics. Importance of Supplementary Schools and their types 1. Promoting Culture Supplementary schools are of various types depending on their importance to the educational system of the learners. There are those schools that apart from providing what contains in the syllabus, they also educate the children; some on language or tradition or culture. Language and culture are, therefore, taught in these schools through the study of History, religion, literature, music, among other subjects (Richard, 1995). In this case, therefore, the various aspects of culture, language, and tradition they would wish their children to attain are integrated into the school syllabus subjects so that the learning is holistic. In the case of Turkey for instance, they integrate the teaching of the Turkish culture into the teaching of standard Turkish (Dove, 1993). Some supplementary schools also make use of the breaks they have between classes or any free time to educate their learners on matters to do with morality and living, as well as educational achievement. There is this class of supplementary community schools with an agenda of ensuring that cultural aspects and traditions of the community are taught and addressed. Most of the supplementary schools, for example in Turkey, are said to provide their learners with education on culture, make them learn and be able to communicate in multiple languages. The reason for this is that those from other communities, different from their own, can be at the same level as them (Kenner & Hickey, 2008). In such a case, students were able to develop the feeling that they have what it takes to succeed, and equally get to learn their culture well as well as understand their linguistic background. In order to maintain their culture, some of the supplementary schools decide to teach about culture independently; without having to link it to another subject. Some of the supplementary schools in areas like Birmingham, Bengali language instruction is what gets used in order to have their cultural aspects maintained. The Chinese is also another group that considers mother-tongue very important in preserving ones culture. British-Chinese pupils for instance, according to research, showed that one cannot get considered Chinese if they cannot speak in Chinese language. It is the fluency in their Chinese language that equipped pupils with the necessary confidence to enable them learn the other languages in convectional schools, and their motivation to learn fostered. Also with the fluency in their local language, Chinese pupils can communicate effectively with their parents and have a better understanding of beliefs and views. 2. Raising of Achievement There also is a different category of supplementary community schools, whose aim is to make sure that learners highly achieve academically as well as learn other values that are essential in both their school life and life after school. These are different from those provided by the convectional education. The inclusion of values to be as part of the educational system is thought by parents from ethnic groups as quite important in making sure that their children receive supplementary education and that their values are promoted (Tomlinson, 1984). As a student in the supplementary schools, one acquires the necessary skills in life as well as achieve academically, something the convectional schools hardly take into consideration. It is due to the lower achievement realized among the African-Caribbean that had led to supplementary schools having to take the subjects such as mathematics, English, culture and black ethnic group history into consideration; through starting classes in those areas. Through attending of supplementary schools, children from black ethnic groups can also receive the attention they might otherwise lack in the mainstream schools (Issa & Williams, 2009). Their confidence is also boosted, through the constant encouragements they get as well as the chances to participate in classroom activities. Due to the racism suffocating some of the state schools, the black ethnic groups are faced with the opportunity to access sufficient knowledge; some of which is absent in the convectional schools, being that they have failed in a big way as far as holistic education is concerned. The white education does not get a slight chance to change them as while in school they also continuously learn about their culture and traditions (Ives & Wyvill, 2008). In addressing underachievement among pupils, the supplementary schools make it a practice that every after an exam has been released, students receive presents on assembly so that other pupils can get challenged to work harder; which is an example of what happens in turkey (Mirza, 2009). Supplementary schools in China are also known to provide their pupils with educational and social capital to enable them thrive not only in school but college too. In this case, the pupil, through the extra education is well prepared academically so that when they move to the American schools, they can compete favorably with pupils from there. It does not stop here, as after completing their education in the American schools successfully, they will move to college and later get good jobs that will enable them live a comfortable life. Research shows that the success of Japanese pupils in the United States was attributed to the efforts made by the Japanese and not that of the school. According to the findings of 240 children attending Japanese Supplementary schools in the United States, it is clear that the main aim of attending these schools is to enable be at the same level with their peers once they return to their country. It is the linguistic and academic achievement that enables them favorably compete in the job market. The same applies to British-Chinese children who consider attending Chinese schools as a creating better chances for future jobs. 3. Providing a Sense of Identity Supplementary schools also enable their pupils attain a sense of identity, which might not get realized in the state schools. Being that teachings on culture, tradition and language of a particular community is integrated in their school subjects, and in some cases taught independently; pupils are constantly exposed to their culture and identity and this therefore is something that cannot at any point escape their minds (Creese, et al., 2006). In such a case, an individual can develop a higher self-esteem due to the environment provided by the supplementary schools that give pupils a sense of belonging. The environment is also favorable in making sure that the pupils realize their self-worth and therefore produce high achievements. Through social events too, supplementary schools can maintain their identity. This mostly occurs in national celebrations or the school meetings where parents as well as pupils belonging to the same ethnic group intermingle and share on various issues, thereby cutting on isolation among them and therefore creating a stronger bond (Creese & Martin, 2006). It is mainly in Jewish, Greek supplementary schools where identity is very crucial and get taught so that a better understanding of identity can be realized and strengthened. These schools, therefore, operate in a way that is quite healthy, as identity is withheld and working as a group reinforced. According to research findings, there is a very close relationship between language and culture, and in cases where the local language gets ignored, culture too disappears. Conclusion Supplementary education, therefore, plays a very important role in education of the young ones in the society. We have seen how pupils do not only acquire knowledge of the classroom needed to pass exams, but also values that are to enable them be useful members of the society. According to these schools, culture, tradition, and language are essential aspects of life of a society that are not supposed to get ignored as in the case that happens, one might end up losing their identity. They also have been important in dealing with racism that is central in most of the state schools that hinder the performance of the blacks due to lack of attention and lesser opportunities of learning offered to them. In China for instance, we have realized that they provide their pupils with additional education so that when they move to the American schools, they do not have to suffer in terms of under-achievement. In this case, they can compete favorably and move to colleges that provide them with opportunities for better employment opportunities. Underachievement in supplementary schools in Turkey has been able to diminish due to the constant rewards presented to these pupils who have shown an improvement in their studies or those who have performed well so that those with poor performance can get the challenge to work harder. With supplementary schools disclosing to us what can be termed as failure on the part of convectional schools, it is wise taking these schools into consideration due to the holistic education they strive to provide for the blacks and make sure these blacks get education and can compete favorably. Bibliography Conteh, J., 2003. Succeeding in Diversity: Culture, Learning, and Language in Primary Classrooms. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books. Cousins, L., 2005. The Supplementary Schools in Bristol: Their Contribution to Raising Attainment. Bristol: Bristol City Council. Creese, A., Bhatt, A., Bhojani, N. & Martin, P., 2006. Multi-Cultural, heritage and learner Identities in supplementary schools. Journal and education journal, 20(1), pp. 23-43. Creese, A. & Martin, P., 2006. Interaction in complementary school contexts: Developing Identities of choice: An introduction. Language and education journal, 1(20), pp. 1-4. Dove, N., 1993. The emergence of black supplementary schools: Resistance to racism in the United States. Urban education journal, 27(4), pp. 430-447. Issa, T. & Williams, C., 2009. Realizing Potential: Complementary Schools in the U. K. Stoke On-Trent: Trentham Books. Ives, R. & Wyvill, B., 2008. An Evaluation of Supplementary Schools. London: Institute of Education. Kenner, C. & Hickey, T., 2008. Multi-lingual Europe-Diversity and Learning. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books. Mirza, H. S., 2009. Race, Gender, and Educational Desire. Oxon: Routledge. Richard, G. G., 1995. Supplementary schools-their service to education. Multi-cultural teaching journal, 14(1), pp. 36-40. Tomlinson, S., 1984. Home and School in Multi-Cultural Britain. London: Batsford. Read More