Civic engagement
UEL students say volunteering in the community helps them grow in confidence
Seven students volunteer at Newham school through UEL's volunteering module
By Lee Pinkerton
Students from the University of East London (UEL) have been gaining valuble practical experience by volunteering at a supplementary school in Newham.
The Islamic Circles Supplementary School (ICSS) is an entirely volunteer-run supplementary school that is open to children of all backgrounds and faiths and operates in the London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets.
In general, supplementary schools provide additional educational support for children attending mainstream schools. The seven students from UEL who volunteer there are studying for degrees in Education Studies, Early Childhood Studies and Psychology.
In general, supplementary schools provide additional educational support for children attending mainstream schools. The seven students from UEL who volunteer there are studying for degrees in Education Studies, Early Childhood Studies and Psychology.
Mohammed Khan, a trustee at ICSS, said, “We strongly believe that our students need to be encouraged to integrate into British society, and our volunteers play an important part in this as role models. Our aim is not to replace the work already being done by the local schools but to supplement it by providing additional support in the core curriculum subjects.”
The partnership was facilitated by Martin Pinder, Honorary Secretary of the Newham Partnership for Complementary Education (NPCE), and UEL’s Volunteering Service.
Most of the UEL students are taking the University’s optional volunteering module, which aims to provide students with real-world experience of working in the voluntary sector. Students must log 60 hours of volunteering and prepare written assignments based on their experiences.
Most of the UEL students are taking the University’s optional volunteering module, which aims to provide students with real-world experience of working in the voluntary sector. Students must log 60 hours of volunteering and prepare written assignments based on their experiences.
Another ICSS Trustee, Sharlin Ahmed, said the supplementary school helped local families.
She said, “As a result of the successful intake of UEL students, we have given two local refugee centres an opportunity to send children of refugee families to us for free. We have nine children from four families - Nigerian, Albanian, Afghani and Syrian - who we hope we can help not just with their education but with mentoring too.”
Shahida Islam, (pictured left) one of the UEL student volunteers, felt that she had grown through her experience of working at the supplementary school.
She said, “ICSS has a hand in enhancing my confidence in working with children and developing my professional skills.”
Another student volunteer, Sandra D. Nyantakyi (pictured at the back), was equally enthusiastic.
She said, “Working at ICSS has been a joy and it has given me a great experience. Money is usually what people focus on when it comes to work, but volunteering at ICSS has enabled me to achieve good friendships and build beautiful memories which are priceless.”