Tutoring group a lifeline for young Syrians in city

WhenBarkatAlabbas's family fled Syria for Jordan, he did not go to school for two years.

Although the 16-year-old missed Syria's equivalent of Grades 7 and 8, he joined a Grade 9 class when he arrived in Fredericton in January.

His English has improved since then, but he struggles with the terminology of certain subjects and has trouble answering specific questions, especially in math class.

It is for students like Barkat that some Syrian refugees in the city have organized a new tutoring group.

"In math, sometime I didn't understand like a specific question," Barkat said. "I come here, and they help me to explain that. And they say any problem you have, you come to us."

Started by Syrian parents

The tutoring group started in October and meets three times a week at theDooneStreet Wilson Row Community Centre on Fredericton's south side.

Between six and10 Syrian boys attend the sessions, girls attend a separate group on Sunday.

There are four tutors, most of them retired engineers or teachers, each taking on one shift a week to help out with math, biology, history and chemistry questions.

The group runs under the banner of the Fredericton Multicultural Association but was started by Syrian refugees who worried about their children, saidMohammadBakhash, who spoke for the parents at a recent meeting.

"I think the schools do what they can for our children but they need more," Bakhash said.

Language is the biggest barrier facing young refugees, he said.

Although the children can now speak English, they still struggle with the wording for math problems and scientific questions.

Many also missed school in the years between fleeing Syria and coming to Canada.

The younger ones can make up for the lost time, but some have already turned 21 and by law can't go to high school, he said.

"I am worried about them because the time, and their situation, means a life," he said.

"In the business world, time means money, but in their situation time means a life. If they lose one year, they will lose the rest of their life."

The schools can't do it alone

Gerry Blom, who manages the tutoring group for the Multicultural Association, said there are other tutoring classes in Fredericton.

The Multicultural Association offers extra language lessons on Saturday, and Leo Hayes High School set aside one hour for tutoring a week.

But one teacher cannot cover all of the questions in that time, he said.

"Many teachers today have TAs and even then it's not doable, I can see that," he said.

"That's why it's important that this type of work gets going throughout the cities."

Blom hopes to start another tutoring group on the city's north side in the spring, once he can find a suitable place, preferably with two rooms, one for the boys and one for the girls.

Don`t want to be outsiders

He recently created a separate women's group and tutoring classes for the girls at theDooneStreet centre, though he is still looking for more female tutors.

The women are in desperate need of English skills, he said, so they can get out of their homes and start integrating into the community.

• Syrian newcomers agree language training is key to finding work

"That is very necessary because otherwise you are an outsider forever," he said.

"I find it important for the women to have their own thing simply because otherwise you are always babysitting at home. And this gives them a way out and maybe a way that some might want to pursue whatever, schooling, career.

"At least you have the fish out there if there's bait."

Khawla Al Dandan, 19, is in Grade 11 at Fredericton High School, was a good student in Syria. Today, she's struggling with English and the loss of 2 years of schooling while a refugee in Lebanon.

A family friend helped Khawla with homework this year but she also wants to attend the tutoring group for girls.

"I want to be a pharmacist," she said.