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The Educational and Employment Aspirations of Somali High-School Students in Melbourne

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The Educational and Employment Aspirations of Somali High-School Students in Melbourne 28th Annual AFSAAP 2005 Conference Africa: Peace, Progress, Passion and Sustainability Friday 25 November to Sunday 27 November 2005 University of New England, Armidale, NSW The Educational and Employment Aspirations of Somali High-School Students in Melbourne Some Insights from a Small Study Prepared by Yusuf Sheikh Omar With the Ecumenical Migration Centre, Brotherhood of St Laurence November 2005 Ecumenical Migration Centre of the Brotherhood of St Laurence 95 Brunswick Street Fitzroy VIC 3065 Ph: (03) 9416 0044 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.bsl.org.au Aqoon la’aani waa iftiin la’aanee Waa aqal iyo ilays la’aanee Ogaada ogaada, dugsiyada ogaada O aada o aaya walaalayaalow aada (Lack of knowledge is lack of enlightenment Is homeless and lightless Be aware, be aware of schools And go to schools, go to schools Brothers and sisters go to schools) Abdullahi Qarshe (1961), the father of Somali literature and arts Acknowledgments I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Ecumenical Migration Centre at the Brotherhood of St Laurence, for its support and encouragement throughout the research cycle and my attendance at the International Conference of the African Studies Association of Australasia and Pacific at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW. My profound thanks to Janet Stanley from the Brotherhood of St Laurence for her advisory role in the project’s initial stages, and to Deborah Patterson, also from the Brotherhood of St Laurence, for her valued editorial contribution. Rasika Jayasuriya and Melina Simmond from the Ecumenical Migration Centre at the Brotherhood of St Laurence, also deserve special thanks for their support, dedication and revision of this research; their professional guidance and contributions were crucial in developing this report. Finally, many thanks are extended to the Somali parents and students who supported and participated in this research, without whom it would not have taken place. i CONTENTS Acknowledgments i 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Data and Methodology 1 1.2 Brief History of Somali Education 2 2. Parents’ Perspectives 3 2.1 Family composition 3 2.2 Parents’ Education 4 2.3 Parents’ Occupations 5 2.4 Perceptions of Children’s Education 6 2.5 Perceptions of Job Choices 7 2.6 Perceptions of Preferred Country of Employment 8 2.7 Involvement in Children’s Education and Employment-Related Decision-Making 9 2.8 Perceived Barriers to Children’s Attainment of Educational and Employment Goals 9 2.9 Desire for Assistance, Advice and Information 10 3. Students’ Perspectives 10 3.1 Experience of Frequently Changing Schools 11 3.2 Family Composition 12 3.3 Perceived Value of Education and Employment 13 3.4 Barriers to Understanding How to Achieve Future Aspirations 14 3.5 Gender and Employment 15 3.6 Perceptions of Parents’ Aspirations 17 3.7 Perceptions of Voluntary Work 17 3.8 Level of Consultation with Parents 18 3.9 Financial Influences on Educational and Employment Choices 18 3.10 Strengths for Achieving Educational and Employment Goals 19 3.11 Barriers to Achieving Educational and Employment Goals 20 4. Settlement Issues 20 4.1 Equity in Opportunities 20 4.2 Alienation from Australian Society 22 4.3 Maintenance of Core Values and Beliefs 23 4.4 Social/Self-Exclusion 24 4.5 Multiple Long-Term Plans 26 5. Implications 27 6. Conclusion 29 7. References 30 ii 1. Introduction This research set out to explore the educational and employment aspirations of Somali high-school students in Melbourne. The broad aim of the research was to identify and explore the educational and employment aspirations and goals of a sample of Somali adolescents currently studying at high school level in Melbourne. The research also sought to identify the barriers Somali students face in defining and achieving their educational and employment goals and develop a set of recommendations aimed at assisting Somali students to achieve these goals. This report begins with an overview of the history of education in Somalia and demographics of Somali families in Melbourne i.e. family size and situations at home. It is important to note that there does exist significant diversity within the Somali community, based on factors such as kinship, however this is not the focus of this study. The research describes and analyses a number of issues related to parents, including their educational and current employment situations and the impact these may have on their children’s educational and employment goals. Parents’ views on their children’s education and the types of work they would like their children to pursue in the future are covered, as are parents’ beliefs relating to gender and employment and their attitudes and practices toward supporting their children to identify and follow education and employment avenues. Finally, parents’ desire for assistance, advice and information that will help them guide their children in exploring educational and employment options is discussed. The report also investigates students’ perspectives of education and employment. The consequences of living with a single parent and frequently changing schools for children’s development and studies are discussed. Future educational and employment plans and the values students place on various options are explored: an example of an aspiring Somali student is given. The strengths and barriers to pursuing future aspirations are critically analysed and perceptions of gender role differences, parents’ expectations, the need to consult with parents, the value of voluntary work and financial influences are explored. Several issues relating to resettlement in Australia, including the existence of multiple plans for the future and social and self-exclusion, are acknowledged. The report concludes by drawing attention to the implications of the study findings and how they can inform improved support for Somali students to achieve their educational and employment goals. 1.1 Data and Methodology This research employed qualitative methods to infer, extract and understand in depth the educational and employment aspirations of Somali high school students from their own perspectives. Primary data was collected though personal observations, focus group surveys and individual interviews. A total of 48 people participated in surveys and interviews: 12 fathers, 12 mothers, 12 male students and 1 12 female students. All students were aged 16–19 years and were attending Somali ethnic school classes at the time of surveys and interviews. The interviews with the students were recorded with their prior consent. Twelve mothers were informally interviewed as a group. The mothers were also attending classes at the Somali ethnic school. Twelve fathers were randomly approached at Somali shops and restaurants and participated in answering surveys, questionnaires or in informal interviews. The researcher explained to the participants the aim and purpose of the research, and obtained verbal consent from students’ parents. Prior to collecting primary data the relevant literature was also reviewed and previous findings were used to inform the design of the study. This research was conducted over a seven-month period, from May to November 2005, and provides a backdrop for those wishing to conduct further research on the settlement experiences of Somali youth. However, while inferences from this research provide invaluable information and insights into the future plans of the Somali diaspora, the author acknowledges that due to the small sample size, external validity is limited and therefore generalisations cannot be made to young African refugees in general or the entire Somali community in Australia or other western countries. 1.2 Brief History of Somali Education The old traditional system of teaching and learning in Somalia involved the training of children and young people by elders in relation to methods and manners of utilising the environment, clan collective responsibilities and fighting skills. Later, nomadic schools were introduced with male religious leaders teaching children how to read, write and memorise the Qur’an and different units of Islamic studies such as Shariah law, Arabic grammar and aspects of Sufism. In these settings, pupils learnt by rote using wooden tablets. Traditionally, education in Somali has been male-oriented; the preferential treatment of boys was a reflection of broader traditions of decision-making where only adult men participated in community affairs. During colonisation by the Italians and British in the 19th and early 20th centuries, western-style education was introduced to appease the employment needs of the colonisers. Seven years of such education were thought to be necessary and sufficient for those Somalis assuming administrative and low-level technical roles (Abdi 1998). Post-colonial administration, between 1950 and1960, required the Italian government in south Somalia, under a United Nations Trusteeship, to prepare Somalis for independence, necessitating the establishment and development of a modern education system for Somali children and adult learners (Abdi 1998). With this, Somalis embraced the values of modern education and as Somalia gained independence in 1960, mass education was further promoted as a vehicle for national development. The Somali language was formally documented in 1972. 2 This coupled with a mass literacy campaign in rural areas, resulted in a sharp increase in literacy rates from 15% to 55% in 1974 (Abdi 1998). Political repression from the early 1980s to 1990 resulted in a significant drop in literacy rates to 36% for males and 14% for females (UNESCO 1991). To understand the scale of deterioration, the gross enrolment rate for 4–23 year olds was estimated as being a low 14% in 1980, by 1988, that had slid back to 7% (UNESCO 1991). Virtually all educational institutions and resources, including schools, technical training centres and university facilities, became casualties in the mass destruction of the country’s total infrastructure (Abdi 1998). Somali children were denied their right to education, which is one of the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNESCO 1991).
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