Refugees adapt to Lansing’s education

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) — Children over 7,000 miles away are now students in the Lansing Public School District.

They are refugees from Afghanistan who left the country after the Taliban took power. Now these brave students are adjusting to life in Michigan.

More than 100 children and teenagers were registered. Many of them cannot speak English which can be a challenge.

“We have many schools where our children come in not even knowing how to say hello and amazingly, within two or three months you start to see the students become more social because of the opportunity to learn the language,” the assistant superintendent said. of special populations Sergio Keck.

Most students speak Faarsi or Arabic at home, but there are more than 65 languages ​​spoken in the halls of Lansing schools. That’s why Keck said the school’s bilingual education department is so important.

As a former English learner, Keck said he knows all too well the importance of keeping parents up to date.

“I know how easy it is to trick your parents into saying, ‘It’s okay, Mom,'” Keck recalled.

But it’s not just about bridging the language gap. Keck said it was equally important to bridge the cultural divide. This is why the district will organize a family event during which parents and students will be invited to school and will then be fed to break their Ramadan fast.

“We try to support it to make sure they know, ‘Hey, we know where you’re from. We try to learn who you are and adapt our services to support you,” Keck said.

After: Schools rule

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