Life changing day for Mildura international students
There were tears, singing and hugging - and that was just the parents and teachers at the Mildura English Language Centre (MELC)where nine students graduated yesterday ready for mainstream schooling.
Christine Sherry from MELC says it's an enormous day for the graduating students.
"It's saying that they have reached a level where they will be able to access main stream schooling and that's with their English levels.
"So this last term they've been attending part time and now they'll go there full time," she says.
The school also has a focus on teaching the students systems and routine involved with mainstream schooling that may not be obvious.
"That's also learning about how Australian schooling works, following instructions, those sorts of things.
"It's very explicit, the rate of teaching is slowed down. It's a small centre so it's very personalised to the students need and their level so each student has their own individual plan," she says.
The students English language base varies and Ms Sherry says the school tailors the education to each student.
"It's a strength based model, if the student has one word well we build on that one word, if they don't have any words well we find a common connection," she says.
At times it's not just a language barrier that a teacher may be dealing with.
"We've got children here who maybe have fled two wars and they will be here at the centre enrolling within two or three weeks of leaving a war zone.
"So I often see a very nervous look as the parents walk away and that's why it's so critical that it is, small and intimate and very safe," she says.
It's clear that Ms Sherry was feeling the emotion of the morning as she described the school as "the most visible learning I've ever seen" even after 25 years as a teacher.
"Children come in without much English, or even the ones who do are very nervous and reluctant to speak in English.
"Seeing the transformation is absolutely astounding, particularly of those from traumatic backgrounds.
"It does remind you how lucky we are to be Australian but also how much we do take for granted," she says.