Primary Schools Go to University
On 21st May 2009, a group of parents and pupils from Kobi Nazrul and Manorfield Primary schools in Tower Hamlets, visited London Metropole University.
The trip was part of the 8 week course Mosaic is piloting designed to empower Muslim mothers to get more involved with their daughters' primary school education and to encourage them to achieve to their fullest potential.
"The best bit of the visit was when we were shown around the University as it gave me a good idea about the facilities available. I also found it helpful to learn that I can get advice from a lot of different people when making important decisions" Nishat Pushpa, a student from Manorfield Primary
The visit began with a tour of the University, including the library, teaching rooms, the canteen and a mock court room.
This was followed by "Graduate Success Stories", a video showing past students talking about their experiences at the University and what they are doing now. One student, now a Marketing Manager at Deloitte, talked about how she had met many inspirational people during her studies and learnt a lot from them, not just academically.
"I found watching the video the most useful part of the visit, as it encouraged me do achieve well at school". Nadhira Jannat, a Year 5 student from Kobi Nazrul
"The visit inspired the pupils to start thinking about if they want to go to university or get a job when they finish school, and it was important to know that they can change courses if they find that theyhave chosen the wrong one." Nadhira's mother, Ruhul Zannat
Another overseas student from India spoke about the culture shock of coming into a different country, but said that she had benefited from the experience hugely, as she met so many people from different cultures and became much more confident as a result. She also spoke about other important skills she gained, such as communication, and the number of contacts that she made which helped her to progress.
Next, the University's Admissions Officer gave a presentation about how they recruit students. Girls and parents asked questions such as at what age can you start university, whether you can still attend if you get poor results at school and what the most popular courses were. They were told that even if you don't achieve well at school, there is always a second chance and you can always go back to further education later in your life.
Student ambassadors then related their experiences of university life and gave the advice to always study something that you enjoy, as you would be more self motivated and achieve better results. They also explained that most courses involved a lot of research and so it is always good to keep on top of your work.
"What makes us unique is that we work with communities at grassroots level, to understand their needs and to help them aspire to think about further and higher education as a realistic option" Tahera Huda, Community Outreach and Continuing Education Development Officer at London Metropole University