Axing Free Refugee Language Program Absurd
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
10 Feb 2012
Detention Centre enviroment too stressful
and not inducive to learning
Academics, alumni and students at the University of Sydney and advocates for refugees and asylum seekers have joined forces to campaign against the axing of the university's free English language classes for refugees.
Staffed by volunteer teachers, the program costs the university just $42,000 a year to cover the salary of the program's co-ordinator. But the university insists it cannot afford to keep the program going despite the fact it has helped many hundreds of newly arrived refugees adapt to their new country and is the only program of its type available for asylum seekers on temporary or bridging visas.
"Such penny-pinching for such a paltry amount is the height of absurdity," says Ian Rintoul, spokesman for the Refugee Action Coalition and one of those who helped found the original program back in 2001 and lobbied the university to back the initiative.
Among $28 million cuts University of Sydney axes
$42,000 program that teaches English to asylum seekers
Since 2004 the University of Sydney has conducted free language tuition for asylum seekers and refugees through the university's Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, and provided the salary for the program's coordinator as well as class room facilities. The rest of the program is run and staffed entirely by volunteers, who include the many academics, alumni and students who offer their time and expertise to teach English as a second language at both an academic and conversational level.
Initially the $42,000 needed to pay a co-ordinator to oversee the organisation of classes as well as the large team of volunteers, was funded through the Office of the Vice- Chancellor but was recently shifted to the Faculty of Arts.
This week, claiming cuts had to be made to its already tight budget, the Faculty announced its decision to axe the program in its entirety.
"We knew cuts at Sydney Uni had been planned as part of its effort to shave 7.5% which amounts to $28 million from its bottom line. But the axing of the Refugee language Program which was very well resourced by volunteers, cost so little to run and did so much good is a complete shock," says Ian Rintoul.
Many refugees from detention centres enrolled
in the free language class
Fr Jim Carty, Co-ordinator of the Marist Asylum Seeker and Refugee Service is equally disturbed.
"Many of those I have seen over the years have benefited from the program which played an important role not only in helping refugees and asylum seekers learn English but in helping many who had suffered terrible trauma and torture, to grow in confidence and adapt to their new life here in Australia," he says.
Fr Carty has worked with refugees and asylum seekers for more than 30 years and says tuition in English offered to asylum seekers and newly arrived refugees through the university's Refugee Language Program provided a "good transitional period" between leaving detention and finding work, a job and a new life here in Australia.
"Detention centres are not good environments for learning and even if English language classes are given, they are not up to it as they are undergoing too much other stress as detainees. Often too they are simply too traumatised to take anything in. But on release from detention, even on a bridging visa, they are able to relax more.
Certainly this is how the University of Sydney promoted its Refugee Learning Program last year when its website said the program was an opportunity to "to help those suffering from economic and social deprivation or those who have suffered torture and trauma in their countries of origin."
Villawood Detention Centre
"Our program helps in some measure to alleviate the dislocation and isolation these people suffer, as well as providing language skill classes at no cost," the website claims.
"The amount the university is talking about cutting is less than the pay rise for back benchers being voted on in Parliament next week," Ian Rintoul points out. "It is also probably less than the university's annual stationary bill. It is a drop in the bucket in terms of expenditure for Sydney Uni but will deprive many hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers a chance to learn English and make the transition from their often difficult and troubled homelands, to Australia."
The Tertiary Education Union along with volunteer teachers in the program, supporters and students as well as Ian Rintoul , Fr Carty and other asylum seeker refugee groups are now banding together to campaign against the axing and hopefully force the university to change its mind.
"We intend to reverse the decision," says Ian Rintoul pointing out universities symbolically have long had a commitment to reach out, using many of its resources to help the community.
"But these days commercial operations and the bottom line are increasingly their only concern. However when you weigh $42,000 against an annual budget of hundreds of millions, to call this cost cutting seems the height of absurdity," he says.
