Rich themes of cultural diversity in 'belonging' HSC question

This article talks about how the HSC English question based on belonging allowed students to write creative pieces on their experiences of cultural conflict.

Student Prinita Thevarajah wrote about a little asylum boy who is rejected by society and sent back. Her parents worked with asylum seekers, and Prinita had visited the detention centers with them. There was a young boy there that had been accepted but a lot of his friends had been sent back. She expressed her sadness and grief through her creative writing piece. At such a young age she saw the poverty and living standards of some people over the world, allowing her to appreciate what was around her more and sympathize for the less fortunate.

Another student Najwa Halwani wrote about a Muslim woman in an Australian co-operation that had to choose between her career that belonged and her culture that didn’t. This portrays the inner struggles that many people face today. Many people in large Australian companies are from multicultural backgrounds, which might a bit difficult to express in such a traditional and Australian environment.

The school revealed that they had indeed tried to relate the syllabus relevant to their students’ lives. Giving them this outlet would change the way they perceived education and motivate them. The HSC question was relevant to them, but it was reported that there was an issue with the time limit. When writing with such passion and depth, the students felt that they had not enough time to express everything they wanted to convey to the reader and to themselves.

I personally find that so good to hear, that an educational movement was an outlet for students that had been emotionally scarred or hid their culture from others. It is also sad that students at such a young age undergo such a stressful experience because other students or teachers have not been taught cultural competence. Such values should be taught and maybe also be expressed in more detail in some subjects. I know for sure that as someone who studied music in high school, studying the music of different cultures was a must and was very inspiration and eye opening. Maybe if such a compulsory and broad subject like English could implement those values, then the generation as a whole could shift their view, which could change how they interact with and think about other cultures for the rest of their lives.

Reference:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/rich-themes-of-cultural-diversity-in-belonging-hsc-question-20131014-2vixi.html

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