Agriculture added to school curriculum at Belmore Boys High School
A ROOFTOP garden program has led to Belmore boys High School teaching agriculture for the first time this year as part of their HSC curriculum.
The Express
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FROM little things, like vegetable gardens, big things grow.
That has been the case at Belmore Boys High School where a garden program has led to the school teaching agriculture for the first time this year as part of their HSC curriculum.
The class is taught in a rooftop garden, where sweet potatoes, banana trees and various other plants sprout.
The subject has already attracted 15 Year 11 students, and the school is the only one in Canterbury-Bankstown to offer agriculture.
Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said: “It’s great to hear that 15 students at Belmore Boys High School have decided to study agriculture for their HSC.”
“These students will soon discover that when you study agriculture, you develop a whole range of skills that can be moulded to any job within the agribusiness sector.”
The roots of the subject were planted years ago by agriculture teacher Omar Chahrouk.
He can be seen wearing an Akubra and RM Williams boots around school, has been “guerilla gardening,” since 2010, creating eight established gardens at the school, complete with an ibis pond and sculptures.
Known as “Captain Planet” at school, he said he was inspired after a conversation with two students.
“We were struggling to engage with the boys and keep them in school,” Mr Charhouk said.
“I asked them what they needed from us to feel part of the school and they basically said ‘look at this place, how do you expect us to be respectful of this place’.”
So with a shovel and pick the three started to transform the grounds, and many of the students in the process.
Mr Charhouk said it had given the boys a “sense of ownership and membership”.
“I notice that they always walk past it to see the progress and that teaches them things like patience, nurturing, compassion, protection,” he said.
“And that’s what you want from boys.
“In society we have this idea that boys have go tot be tough and reckless and dangerous and it teaches them you can still be strong, but you can also be gentle.”
He said it was also a lesson in not fitting the mould.
“They see this Middle Eastern farmer giving commands in Arabic and they’re like ‘hang on you’re meant to be sounding like an Aussie ocker?’ ” he said.
“Then they realise you don’t have to fit norms, and look how awesome and how exciting it is not to fit norms.”
Belmore Boys High School principal Hala Ramadan said for many of her students, who come from disadvantaged communities, it gives them space to be boys.
THE FARMHAND OF THE FUTURE
“Seeing their school transform into an environment that’s beautiful boosts their self-esteem,” Ms Ramadan said.
Mr Charhouk’s work isn’t done yet, he has plans to buy 15 chooks, one for each student, and to create a “walking food garden” where kids can pick fruit and vegies for morning tea and lunch.
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