When Ripa Rais came to New York in 1996 from Bangladesh she knew not a word of English and little about American culture.
Rais was thrown into the classroom to sink or swim. She struggled at first and the school sent letters to her parents warning them of Rais’ troubles. It did not help since Rais’ parents too did not understand much about America.
Rais, now a student at Queens College, managed to graduate high school despite those early difficulties.
Abul Kalam Azad, a teacher at Long Island City High School, said the main purpose of the New York City public education system is to facilitate for many different of education needs. As well, the cooperation and involvement of the guardians or parents in the school system is essential to the children’s education.
But it is a matter of great regret that Bangladeshi parents do not pay proper attention to their children’s education needs, which cause the students to lag behind. Azad pointed out that parents can inform themselves on how their children are doing by looking at their report cards and notebooks. They also should consult with the Student Counselor if they find any problem in their kids’ academic progress in order to ensure they can get the school’s support to help their children.
Maibe Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, said that there are a numbers of ways that parents can find information. According to Gonzalez, one of the most useful methods is to work with the Parent Coordinator, a position created in each school to assist parents. If parents find problems understanding the education system, they can easily talk to the coordinator by phone during school time and get guidelines and suggestions. If the parent has limited English-language skills, the school coordinator arranges for an interpreter so to ensure the parents get accurate and appropriate suggestions.
“There is a New York City hotline – 311 – through which the parents can get the help they need. Interpreters are also available in the 311 system,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez added that parents should reach out to the school coordinator before enrolling their children into any school, “If the parents make use of these services, their children will be able to get help to overcome their problems,” she said.
But many parents say that these programs do not go far enough; that there aren’t enough people in the school system well versed in the various immigrant cultures to help them translate the school system in ways that are meaningful for them. As well, in many countries, parents do not play an active role in their children’s formal education – to do so is considered to be meddling into the school’s affairs.
There were no programs offered by the NYC Department of Education to help students like Rais and thousands of new immigrants who enter the school system. Many of the students have to learn on their own. While some eventually succeed academically, too many are struggling in the system.
“Immigration is a serious heart-rending curse for many families, who did not know what types of problems they would have to face in United States,” Azad said. “Family guidance is essential in the educational arena. But students of Bangladeshi origins are greatly deprived of this parent support because the parents are very busy trying to make a living, and because they lack previous experience playing that role.”
When Ria's mother was asked about the academic life of her children, she blamed herself for the problems that they face in their student life. She said, other than a language problem, the curriculum and education system, which are complicated and complex, deterred her from helping her children. She did not know how to overcome that barrier.
Two of Akhlsur Rahman’s three children got off tract. He blamed their derailment to the school system, which he claims ruined his children – they are so independent that the parents no longer have any say on what they do. They lead their life according to their own choice. Parents have the right to punish them for their misbehavior or inattentiveness to their studies, said Rahman, but all peace is gone from the household due to his three children’s independence, who are in the eight, tenth and twelfth grades. They listen to no one. They do not inform the parents where they are off to after school. And his wife, Julekha, does not understand or speak English.
Dr. Showkat Ali, a Bangladeshi immigrant who is a professor at Long Island University, came to the United States in the 1980s. Though the struggle for survival was very harsh, he did not set aside his study and earned a Ph.D. in economics. He achieved this even though initially he was also ignorant of the education system of New York City. His daughter is now a student at the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.
"We help our children with their homework," Dr. Ali said. “Unfortunately, too many Bangladeshi students are struggling because they lack guidance from the family or the school.”
