Research into Learning Needs of Pakistani Community in Huddersfield

HPCA commissioned a major study of the Learning needs of the Pakistani Community in Huddersfield.  The report not only identified key areas of need but also high lighted major barriers to learning.  Some of the areas of concern highlighted were:

• Lack of locally based appropriate learning provision
• Lack of language support
• Transport a factor to accessing learning
• The rigidity of learning
• Cultural inappropriateness of existing provision

The HPCA in partnership with NIACE and the Kirklees Council education department piloted the idea of neighbourhood learning in Thornton lodge area of Huddersfield through setting up a Neighbourhood Learning Centre.

The pilot was greatly successful and was later to become Internet Learning Café which now offers a wide range of learning opportunities for local residents.

INSPIRE

A new pioneering leadership programme developed and implemented jointly by the Huddersfield Pakistani Community Alliance and the African Caribbean Trust. The aim was to test some new ways of investing in the BME community and voluntary sector whilst also seeking to foster a sense of unity and collaboration between two communities.

The Inspire programme commenced in September 2003 with a weekend residential and over the course of the next ten months the participants took part in a series of eight one-day sessions and then a final residential that were designed to provide people with the skills, knowledge and inspiration they needed to become effective leaders in their own communities/ organisations.

The broad aims of the programme were:

• To strengthen and develop human resources within the community.
• To enable sustainable development through embedding of skills.
• To produce ‘new blood’ within the community.
• To establish a sustainable mechanisms for future community activity
• To enable ethnic minority communities to understand the systems and structures they are working within.
• To enable better communications within and between communities.

Many of the participants that took part in the programme are now actively involved in community projects and some have gone on to full time paid positions in the community/ public sectors.


HOME STUDY LEARNING

This ground breaking project was over a three year period with funding from the Children’s Fund.

The principal aim of the project was to raise the attainment levels of ethnic minority pupils, whom were under achieving, improve school attendance and increase parental involvement in the education of children and young people within the home and school environment.

The project existed to extend, develop and improve opportunities for children to play and learn in safe stimulating environments. This way accomplished by providing home tutoring to deliver educational support within the national curriculum, and offer a range of facilities, opportunities and experiences to meet the social, physical, intellectual and emotional needs of children and young people in the form of play scheme and home clubs.

This was a partnership project between children, parents, Schools and other organisations to support parents to change learning ethos of education at home.