Arriving in Australia as a refugee comes with many challenges. Just one is trying to get an education as an adult. A program in western Sydney that gives mothers a chance to go to the same school as their children is set to receive a boost in federal funding.
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00:00In the final class of term, Aisha Abdullah sits in the front row and eagerly answers
00:07her teacher's questions. It's a far cry from when Ms Abdullah first immigrated from
00:13Malaysia in 2020. She wanted to study, but making her way into education in a new country
00:19proved difficult.
00:20What does nervous mean?
00:22Until two years ago, when Ms Abdullah joined a community life skills class teaching English,
00:28numeracy and employability skills.
00:31I told the teacher, I cannot study. The teacher said, you can, you can.
00:36The courses are part of the adult and community education program and allow mothers to study
00:40at the same school as their children.
00:43For many of the program participants, the classes provide a way to get outside of their
00:47homes and take their first steps into a new community.
00:52Once they've graduated from these classes, many move on to courses in social services
00:56and workplace skills at Lakemba Uniting Church.
01:01After immigrating from Pakistan in 2009, Sadaf Saba completed four skills courses before
01:07studying at TAFE.
01:08I am putting some effort, I'm going out and I'm doing something.
01:14The federal government says an extra $23 million in funding will help support education options
01:19for these students.
01:20I think given a real sense of their capacity to be leaders in their community and to do
01:25the things they want to do through the power of adult learning.