For my service learning in Rome, I volunteered at Iqbal Masih, a primary school in Rome serving students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is named after the Pakistani boy, Iqbal Masih, who lived to be 13 years old. At age six, he was sold by his family to a carpentry factory. Iqbal went to the UN to speak up against child labor, and as a result, on Easter Day in 1995 he was shot dead by the Mafia in Pakistan. Iqbal Masih School strives to teach the students about diversity and equality for all, which is demonstrated by the many activities and social outreach programs that they offer. In 2003, one of the 5th grade teachers, Suzanna, started up a program that allows the students at Iqbal Masih to set up a school in Pakistan. Each student donates one euro to help finance the school in Pakistan. In addition, Suzanna created a Children’s Choir, which she hopes will improve the way children relate to each other. The choir combines musical heritages of all the children. She said, “we are all different, we are all the same” which illustrates the philosophy of the school.
My initial impression of Iqbal Masih was that it differed greatly from elementary schools I was accustomed to in the United States. I had previously volunteered in a kindergarten classroom at Olympic Hills Elementary and used this basis as a comparison to my volunteer work at Iqbal Masih. My first few weeks at Iqbal Masih were enlightening but also difficult due to the language barrier. For me, my lack of knowledge of the Italian language and the students’ lack of knowledge of English made me feel ineffectual. I was weary of how to approach this situation and how I could be helpful to the teachers. In my first journal entry on January 20, 2011 I wrote, “The language barrier is very difficult for me. I wish I could ask Paula more questions. She speaks little English and is trying very hard to explain to me the classroom schedule and about the students and the Italian schooling system” demonstrating the difficulty I was having and my yearning to be more helpful and engage in more communication. This was distressing for me because during my previous experience volunteering at Olympic Hills, the teachers were so gracious and somewhat relieved when I would knock on the door. However, as time progressed, I figured out alternative techniques to communicate with the students at Iqbal Masih. This was made simple for me with the assistance I provided the physical education teacher during my time with Paula’s 1st grade class. This allowed me to interact with the students in a playful manner, which opened the doorways for us to interact.
The boundaries that I was accustomed to when working with children were not interchangeable at this new school. In my first journal entry I wrote, “My first impression is that within the classroom there is much less structure compared to that of the United States classrooms.” From this, it was very important for me to recognize the cultural differences and social norms between the two cultures. As time progressed, I realized that socializing and allowing children to be children is valued in Italian schools which is demonstrated by inclusive education, which is present in the Italian schooling system. In my journal entry on January 26, 2011, I wrote, “ Today I helped in the 1st grade class again. Today was much more comfortable because I think they kids were excited to see me. One difference I noticed was that in U.S. classes much more discipline is demonstrated and more order is directed in the classroom. Here, the students were talking, hitting, and standing up and the teachers did not seem to care. I believe this is because they want to allow the kids to be kids.” Another difference I observed was that during recess, the teachers on the playground smoked cigarettes which was a very noted difference between the schools in the United States, where smoking is prohibited on school campuses and students are educated of the health risks of the drug. However, in Italy, smoking is culturally accepted and part of the societal norm. In addition, guidelines about physical contact with students differ between the United States and Italy, which was very striking to me. During recess one day I was shocked to see one of the teachers playfully hit the bottom of one of the students. This was not demonstrated as a punitive contact but rather playful and loving. However, in the United States this would be considered sexual abuse. Observing these differences was extremely eye opening for me in terms of recognizing cultural differences and having the ability to see the reasons behind the actions.
I became much more comfortable at this school as time progressed. To help ease the burden of the language barrier, I brought my notes from Italian class and an Italian dictionary to the school to help me better communicate with Paula and Pietro. Our communication consisted of both Italian and English, and from this I was able to learn much more about the social dynamics in the classroom. My interest in researching education for individuals with disabilities sprung from my experiences in this classroom. Pietro, along with being a physical education teacher, is also a teacher’s aid for, Franco*, a student with disabilities. In my journal on January 26, 2011 I wrote, “Franco was upset today during the guest presentation because he wanted to play. He has a hard time sitting still but he is very loving with his peers and vice versa. They all help him calm down and hold his hand. Pietro is very loving and playful with him.” I was fascinated by the teamwork and community atmosphere the classroom had for assisting Franco.
From these observations and experience working in the school, my frame of reference shifted greatly in that I have learned to recognize cultural differences that are apparent in institutions, including school, in all countries. At Iqbal Masih they accept enrollment of students at all levels and disabilities. There are no programs or classrooms for learning disabilities because they only want to promote inclusion and equality. In the article, “ Current Research into Education for Immigrants in Italy” the author, Jonathon Chaloff, states, “Primary schools aim at the education of the person and the citizen framework of the principles enshrined in the constitute of the Republic; they draw inspiration also from the international declarations of human and children’s rights and aim at encouraging understanding and co-operation between pupils…By welcoming all experiences which pupils bring with them, primary school must help foster mutual understanding and respect, especially with regard to religious convictions,” which I believe, Iqbal Masih, keeps at the foreground of their teaching strategies. If I had more time working in the school I would like to have more experience working in different grade levels. I would also like to “shadow” a special education aid, such as Pietro, and learn about his training and the skills he utilizes to assist students with disabilities. Some lingering questions I have are how do the teachings of Iqbal Masih compare to other schools in Rome? Do all schools in Rome strive to promote equality and tolerance? With more time, I would be interested in also working in other schools in Italy that compare the differences.
I want to end my last blog entry with an excerpt that I wrote in my journal, which demonstrates the concepts of equality and overlapping of cultures. I wrote, “ I was able to go into Suzanna’s class and watch and hear her 5th grade students in the choir sing. They sang ‘What a Wonderful World’ which was the song that I sang with my class at our 5th grade graduation. It was a moving moment for me hearing these students in a different country, with an accent, of all different backgrounds singing the same song I sang when I was their age.”
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