The aspirations of many young people recently filled the front page of this newspaper, leading to this old bloke being inspired to get back to volunteering.
Interestingly and coincidently, this happened during this year’s National Volunteer Week.
The array of pictures was from Shepparton’s 25th Careers Day at the DECA complex, with a host of students declaring certain skills they hoped to achieve.
A couple of students in the pictures were remarkably honest and somewhat philosophical with one girl, in answer to the question, “When I graduate: I want to be...” said, “I don’t know”, and another said, “Someone”.
Well, be assured your aspirations reminded me of similar hopes and dreams I had heard while volunteering at the community reading sessions at the Shepparton English Language Centre on the corner of Weddell and Hayes Sts.
My volunteering at the centre ended when COVID-19 arrived, and sadly, I never returned when the emergency had passed.
However, these recent front-page aspirations reminded me of the dreams often talked about during those one-hour community reading sessions.
So, inspired to volunteer again, it was rewarding to discover that nothing had changed. In response to my question, a 16-year-old Syrian girl, who read as well as many Australian-born people, said her ambition was to be a doctor.
The centre was established in 2008, and the present convenor, Laurie Hucker, stepped into the role in 2010, ending nearly 30 years as a classroom teacher.
Mr Hucker is in his 43rd year with the Victorian Department of Education and attributes his longevity directly to the inspirational experiences with students and staff at the centre, which is attached to St George’s Rd Primary School.
Although Mr Hucker is the convenor at the centre, he is, in a formal sense, a vice-principal at the primary school.
The centre presently has a record 175 students, catering to young people from five to 17 years. Many eventually go on to trades, and some move into universities, realising their goal of being a doctor, a lawyer or an architect.
Fascinatingly, as I left a recent community reading session, about 30 students ranging in age from maybe 13 to 17 sang the Australian national anthem from start to finish, without notes.
Although I’ve no evidence to support this view other than anecdotal, I would suggest that many born in Australia would struggle to complete the first verse, let alone the whole anthem.
Standing and listening with amazement and appreciation, although I’m no monarchist, it was comforting to see these young people singing with warmth and enthusiasm about their new home.
Interestingly, about the same time as this was put together, I came across a discussion about ‘The bleak picture of Australian politics’ between the founder of Conversation at the Crossroads, Professor Joe Camilleri, and an honorary fellow in political science at the University of Melbourne, Dr Allan Patience.
It was the latter who said that rather than multiculturalism, which sees many people build power bases within cultural communities, we need cosmopolitanism, which is the integration of all cultures throughout society.
And Professor Camilleri observed that rather than multiculturalism we need interculturalism, that is people bonding across cultures.
And that argument for cosmopolitanism and interculturalism begins at the Shepparton English Language Centre, where locals can volunteer for just one hour a week from 9am on a Tuesday.
Mr Hucker said that once registered, volunteers needed only attend when they could and did not need to notify the centre when and if they couldn’t.
Australians speak relatively quickly, and Mr Hucker said both he and staff consciously slowed down their speech as they walked in the door. He explained how invaluable it was for students to engage with people speaking at their natural rate.
Volunteering brings its own rewards, and that is especially so at the centre, particularly when you see the excitement of a young person for whom English is not their first language, navigating and understanding the complexities, intricacies and confusion of the language.
Such as, for example, the difference between ‘a shed’ (a large or small building used to keep things in) or ‘shed’ (a tree losing its leaves or jobs being cut).
Contact Mr Hucker on 0417 396 564 and join me in being inspired and rewarded in unexpected ways.
Robert McLean is a former editor of The News.