It’s a big deal to take a one-way trip to a new country and BSSC is committed to playing our part supporting our EAL students as they adjust to a radically different setting.
Mu Soe Ruth is a BSSC college alumna who has been working with EAL students as a Multicultural Education Aide since 2021.
She could already speak English when she arrived in Australia having received education to Year 10 while in Mae La refugee camp. Still, she found being part of BSSC’s EAL program incredibly valuable and believes English language skills are very important.
“Being comfortable with the language helps EAL students feel part of the college and by extension, the broader community—and that includes learning Aussie slang,” she says.
Most of the students Mu Soe now works alongside have a Karen background, as she does. And many like Mu Soe, were also born in a refugee camp on the Thai/Myanmar border.
Mae La refugee camp, where Mu Soe’s parents still live, was established in 1984 and usually has a population estimated at between 30,000 and 40,000 people.
The community is dependent on agencies committed to supplying food and non-food essentials. US Aid recently withdrew their support, leaving members of these communities in a much more precarious situation.
Mu Soe was raised by her aunt’s family in Mae La and her pathway to Australia in 2018 was made possible because her aunt’s family were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“It never occurred to me when I was going to school in Mae La camp that I would one day be working in a school myself.”
With a strong focus on helping her students move into mainstream classes for their final year of school, she aims to see them confidently questioning their teachers and feeling able to join conversations as they mix with other students.
“I love supporting my students and feel so proud of them when they reach their goals.
… say ‘hello’ today.
