It’s Sunday school, but not as you know it. The Afghan Hazara community in Launceston has started a language school to teach Afghan children of migrant and refugee backgrounds their mother tongue.
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Split into two classes, those who attended school in Afghanistan and those who didn’t, the school teaches over 50 children the official Afghan language, Dari, and to read the Koran.
Run from 1pm to 4pm each Sunday, the school also provides cultural education and a place for the children to socialise.
“For the kids to not forget their language, to maintain their culture and language that’s the main thing,” Afghan Hazara community advisor Hadi Yaqubi said.
“I think it’s also for them to get connect with other kids.”
Mr Yaqubi said many of the children are more comfortable speaking English than their mother tongue, which their parents are most fluent in. The school provides a valuable education about their cultural heritage.
The classes are offered for free and run by volunteer teachers.
