Food For Thought

Undeniably, inequality exists within the Australian education system with the achievement gap consistently causing concern for the government, who, despite various efforts, cannot seem to find a way to lessen the serious educational disadvantage experienced by specific communities. However, the reality is that inequality will continue to exist until we, as a society, can overcome discrimination. Ford notes a possible cause for the lack of progress in closing the gap as being locked-in-inequality whereby injustices of the past continue to resonate in modern society. This is elaborated on by Ford who references Roithmayr,  

“Poor health and housing, low educational opportunities and economic disparities derive from earlier locked in monopolies, thus contributing to contemporary inequality. The deep-rooted nature of this systemic inequality means it can only be altered with a radical overhaul of current policies and practices.”  

As Australia struggles with finding ways to bridge the achievement gap and overcome locked-in-inequality through the abolition of racism, informal education, such as the programs run at community organizations like ‘Our Big Kitchen,’ is proving a new way of teaching the importance of acceptance, equality and tolerance. Such programs have been devised with the intention of combating cultural and religious intolerance. (Please view: http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3410812.htm). To date, ‘Our Big Kitchen’ has hosted approximately ten ‘Together for Humanity’ events whereby schools with differing religious values, cultural backgrounds, etc go into the kitchen and experience the benefits of learning from others through the comfortable medium of food.

A primary current concern of the education system is that teachers are simply means testing, ie. ‘teaching to the test.’  Through informal education programs such as this, ‘teaching to the test’ is irrelevant. The test in this instance is life and the magnitude and importance of the lessons learnt through such programs are experienced long after students have left the ‘classroom.’

Whilst ‘Our Big Kitchen’ plays host to a large variety of events that can be considered as the optimum of informal education, in this instance I refer to a program run with students from a Jewish, and students from a Muslim school. Rabbi Slavin, founder of ‘Our Big Kitchen’ comments on the program, “it was a way for Jews and Muslims to come together and cook each other’s food and realize that we can live together in peace,” and adds that the sole purpose of the event was aimed at everyone “learning more about each others’ cultures and faiths.”

The principals of the schools involved; Arkana College and Mount Sinai College, both expressed their belief in the long-lasting benefits of such a program. Osman Karolina (Arkana Principal) noted,

“what our schools have done…is almost unheard of, anywhere. Plenty of schools meet and chat, but the nature of this relationship is inspiring.”

Similar sentiments were expressed by Mount Sinai Principal, Phil Roberts;

“Osman and I share a similar optimistic perspective and both recognise that the hand of friendship has no colour. We both believe the experiences the children share can be transformative. It is heartening to see the children playing and working side by side.”    

During the program, each school was asked to demonstrate how to prepare a food that was of importance to their relevant cultural background, before sitting down together to enjoy the ‘fruits of their labour.’ ‘Our Big Kitchen’s’ General Manager explains,

“You watch as the prejudices that they start with start to dissipate over food. They start to realize, hang on, this person is meant to have horns and he doesn’t, this one is meant to have a bomb under his vest, and he doesn’t, and they realize, hey, we are just a bunch of kids in Australia.”

I am a strong believer in the idea that school and learning exists beyond the walls of formalized classrooms and to see programs being run with the purpose of reducing animosity and cultural ignorance is inspiring. Reaching out to children whilst they are at such an impressionable age often allows teachers and informal educators to aid students in forming appropriate and rationale judgments, as opposed to uneducated and ill-informed opinions that so often define the relationship between ‘opposing’ cultural or religious groups. The work of such educators is vital in breaking down the cycle of cultural ignorance that often plagues generations.

I have been lucky enough to witness events of this nature at ‘Our Big Kitchen’ and can therefore express from first hand experience the accomplishments of this community organization in taking a leading role in reducing acrimony between cultures and religions, between the supposed ‘haves and the have not’s,’ etc. Here, food is the catalyst for the real educational revolution that Australia needs if it is to remain a society based on effective multiculturalism and fairness. Here, informal education is breeding a new generation of culture that will rely on the basic fundamentals of human rights; that everyone is equal and should be treated as such.

By Carly Fisher 

The video below references the above, and other programs, conducted at 'Our Big Kitchen' with an explanation of the work of this community organisation. 

References

Ford, M. (2013) 'Achievement gaps in Australia: what NAPLAN reveals about education inequality in Australia, Race Ethnicity and Education.' Routledge. Pp 83. 

Rimier, M. 'Jews, Muslims Cook Together.' Our Big Kitchen Website - http://obk.org.au/jews-muslims-cook-together/

Jwire. 'No Fighting in the Kitchen!' Chabad World Website - http://www.chabadworld.net/page.asp?pageID=%7BA77B8BC0-A8DC-4188-9464-BCE91621BE98%7D

Dingle, S. 'Volunteers provide food for the soul in community kitchen.' 7:30 Report, ABC. January, 2012. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3410812.htm

YOUTUBE LINK: Contributor - Jelenismx. Published 8 Sept 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAes2z-SjvM