Culture Clash or Is It?

[SayidSomal]

i did one session at the school on INSET day, pompously glorifying the freedom loving egalitarian Somali culture, where we do not infringe on the habitual behaviours of the individual so long at it does not has an impact on others. Talked about certain Somali norms mainly drawn from Islam re etiquettes of eating. More importantly: Somalis high regard for justice – for the wronged one first. i.e. paying attention to the reaction of Abdi is wrong whilst ignoring what caused him to react. Cultural orientation in Citizenship lessons perhaps using comparable customs, traditions, behaviours, cultures and norms. Planned a lesson with one of his teachers, called Clan Vs Class (Somali culture vs British culture), which was well received by the students and they loved the Somali culture.

 

The school is not bad at all; they do have good induction, but not in-depth due to time constraints. There are other Somalis in the school apparently some of them have complained about Abdi’s constant exuberant behaviour and touching – putting arms around their necks, messaging one’s chin when asking for favours, however there are no boys in Abdi’s year. All issues have been resolved now – Thank God.

[SayidSomal]

Malika - what happened to M? why did you let him down??

[Ibtisam]

Abdi reminds me of when I arrived in the country at the age of 9, only I did not have an army of brothers/ sisters and cuz like him. I beat ever one that so much as looked at me, even in the class room, while the teacher was teaching. I fought boys, girls, and groups. I was excluded by two different primary schools (who the hell gets chucked out of primary school). The last of the two referred me to a primary school with a Somali kid, they found one, where a 7year old Somali girl who was born the UK and did not speak Somali studied. Not only was she a baby compared to an 8year old from the miyi, but all she told me was ciyaalka ha dildilin (Seriously that was how she said it!) The school had two entrances, and I had to use the teachers one to go in to school and leave, they also found me a supply teacher that sits with me in every class, every time I wanted innan kuu haadad qoof, she will grab my little hands and say NO! NO! I finished my primary school like that.

 

By the time I started secondary school, I had reduced my fighting to about an average of 16 fights a year. I stopped fighting at the end of year 8, partly because waan reer magolabey, but also because I had fought everyone at one point or another and no one wanted to fight me, instead people wanted to be my friend. By this time (year 7 & 8) I had already been excluded from my new secondary school 3times and would’ve been chucked out for good if I got into another fight. I never had a fight in school after that, I use to meet them at a local park if I had to fight, but I only had two fights in year 10 & 11. I was the coolest kid in my last two years, friends with all the different groups, mediating between them.

[-Lily-]

^^^LooooL my God, what an exciting time you had at school.

 

I am glad there are people like Malika and SS teaching, keep at it guys.

 

This reminds me of Somali kids carrying knifes/committing crimes not knowing how many years 'simple/thoughtless' crimes carry.

[Ibtisam]

I should show you my scars one day, see how exciting you think it is then. Did I tell you a broke a girls arm in year 6. It was her fault really She jumped me with five of her friends the day before while her mother watched. Then when I found her in the toilets by herself the next day, she tried to tell me we were “Muslim sisters”. I beat her black and blue and some how her hand broke.

 

Those days it was just hand fight, now the knifes and guns baa waax waalay. Kids always fight, but now you could kill someone just because they called you names.

[Faheema.]

^Lool@Some how her hand broke.

 

The one you headbutted Zidane style always makes me laugh

[Ibtisam]

^^^That one was just luck, I don't know how that happened either, I was tiny back then and he was the capitan of the football team. Pure Luck and allah's help.

 

Faheema we can use the address.

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

Sayid this is an interesting idea. I can see where your coming from. I remember in my primary school, some of the new students were Somali and had problem communicating. At first, I use to shunned them. Didn't want to be associated with the new Somalialien loooooool. If you catch my drift. Once I was assigned to translate for one kid and I was ashamed to be seen with these people. I helped them out reluctantly.

[SayidSomal]

LOOOOOOOOOOL@ ibtisaam being a tomboy.

 

since we are sharing our little younger days stories - when i arrived in this country, i joined school late May of year 10 - couple months before the end of the year. Spoke enough tourist english i.e asking questions about directions - thats it. My first day in all boys school, the one and only Somali. Second lesson, i don't even know to this day what lesson it was. i sat at the back of the class. As i was seating there clueless, this big afro-caribean boy comes in to class and walks towards me shouting something. it didn't even occur to me he was actually talking to me. i just stared at him blank wondering what is he on about. untill he stood over me cussing and cursing all sort of profounities that i didn't understand. The penny dropped when he kicked the chair. i stood up and suddenly he was in my face - forehead to forehead. The next thing i know - i am biting his nose and the scream he let rib out, deafened the whole school. the other classes were out on the corridors looking into our class - teachers and students. The horrors on the boys' faces and the quick scrambling away when the teacher lead me away from the class is still fresh.

[Ibtisam]

biting his nose??? WHAT WHAT, where on earth did you use to fight where they bite people's nose?? OH My GOD!! I am gonna die laughing!!!! LOOOOL hahaha hehehe loool haha looooooooooool looool hahaha lol

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

Originally posted by Sayid*Somal:

I joined school late May of year 10 - couple months before the end of the year.

That's an achievement Walahi! Look at you today. Starting Secondary at the tender age of 15 with a year left of the GCSE is no laughing matter? I can tell you thousands who fell by the way side starting so late.

[SayidSomal]

Ibtisaam - my brother who came to collect me ask me the same thing. i am telling you what i told him "it was knee jerk reaction - he put his nose in my mouth - i just closed it".

 

 

Marx - thanks for the big up. i did well, lucky for me, when we went back home there was another letter from another school we applied who was offering me a place. i left a year later with 7 GCSE, unfortunately only one was C the rest below D-G. once i grasped the language it was plain sailing from there onwards.

 

Unfortunately, somalis being nomads do not choose their travelling times bit carefully, they just up and move when they see green pastures on another place. i was doing well in secondary school in finland, when my brother just told us one in christmas break - "we moving to london next week" and that was that. how many times i have seen and worked with uprooted children from Scandanevian countries, Holland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden etc, who were either in the final years of secondary or primary or were about to even seat at exams. it is sad thinking about it sometimes. Don't even mention consideration or consultation with the young people. it is reerku waa guurey or the highway.

[Ibtisam]

MArx, he came from Finland, not Somalia, the guy already knew how to read and write. But I know what you mean, many boys (the girls tent to focus and catch up or drop off and marry) who arrive from back home in year 10 & 11, and then too late to do anything or get the grades need to catch up and enter the system.

 

Sayid waan kaa yaabey, seriously you are danger! Acudbillah!

[MAXIMUS POWERS]

^^So sayid is eurotrash! he did a job concealing his real identity! kmt LOOOOOOOL!

 

 

For me it wasn't an issue of starting late. But I had a severe behavioural problem, well aleast according to my teachers. They often put behavioural lables on black boys and i was no different. I was excluded like 20 times over primary school and secondary school sometimes for simply defending yourself in a fight.

 

I think the challenge these days its not starting school at a late age but how the education system continues to systemically hinder the progress of Somali students and in particular Somali boys.

 

Somalis are invisible groups even amongst Black and Caribbean students. I have always suggested Somalis are subsumed within the black category in ethnic monitoring category. We need our own ethnic cateogry so that our needs can be addressed.

 

check this interesting clip.

 

Black Boys in School

[SayidSomal]

LOL@Eurotrash - and you are "coreeeh blimey-trash"

 

on serious note:

Somalis are invisible groups even amongst Black and Caribbean students. I have always suggested Somalis are subsumed within the black category in ethnic monitoring category. We need our own ethnic cateogry so that our needs can be addressed.

Not anymore in London's 32 Boroughs - thanks to lambeth. Nationwide the debate is still going and is spearheaded by - you guessed it - Lambeth.