Schools rolling out the welcome mat
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by Gobinder Gill |
Columns
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After a weekend of mourning for two different remarkable women - Diana, Princess of Wales and Mother Theresa, the positive experience of two recently-immigrated children starting school here in Richmond gives me a sense of a new beginning.
Mun Yin, 7, and Yiu Yun, 11, came with their parents, Peggy and Kwong, from Hong Kong two weeks before the beginning of term. The 14-hour flight and a rented house without furniture did nothing to dampen the family's spirit to begin their new life in a new country.
Before school starts, Peggy had to take the children to school for a scheduled ESL (English as a Second Language) assessment. The meeting went extremely well, and they found the teacher supportive and friendly.
"She spoke slowly and repeated things to make sure we understand," they report. The children went through their first few days decoding new information and trying to make sense of what was going on by watching and following what others were doing. Mun Yin appreciated that she was seated next to someone of the same ethnic background who helped to explain what was going on in a mixture of Mandarin, Cantonese and English. Yiu Yun had a teacher who asked students to introduce themselves to the person next to them, and that is how he met his first "Canadian" friend.
Despite funding cutbacks and other challenges our education system is facing, our schools have come a long way in fostering a welcoming environment for newcomers. However, this "honeymoon" period for newcomers is but a short episode in their journey to becoming a fully-integrated member of our community.
Although some still think that ESL classes and other programs for new immigrants put great strains on our resources, the results, I believe, far outweigh the efforts. The faster our newcomers can feel "at home" within our community, the sooner they can be actively contributing members of our society. The more they identify Canada as being their home, the more motivated they will be to give to this country. Many of our outstanding citizens were at one time newcomers to Canada.
Looking at the experience of Peggy's family, I cannot help but think how important schools are in fostering a healthy and positive environment for our future citizens. I only hope that we will continue to go forward in forming a truly multicultural society.
