25 Sep 2019
Last term, students from Kogarah Intensive English Centre enjoyed an educational tour of the National Capital, Canberra. Before attending, they participated in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.
The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education.
To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion, the Australian Government generously contributed funding of $20 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs.
Please enjoy a recount of the day by Tiffany in Class 5S.
Australia’s capital city is Canberra. I went there with students from my school and some teachers on 22nd August 2019. I was nervous and happy. At first I didn’t have close friends with me, however I tried to talk with Thanisa.
She was sitting next to me on the bus. She's from Thailand. We both speak limited English and sometimes we had to rely on Google translation but we were happy to be speaking to each other.
When we arrived in Canberra, the Parliament House as the first place we visited. We walked around the Parliament House with a guide who explained everything in English. I tried to listen very hard so I could understand everything he said to us.
Next we went to the War Memorial. It was an amazing place and we learnt many things about Australian’s history and the involvement in past wars. There was so many things to see and learn.
After that we visited the Government House. It was a fantastic place and it was good for our memories and knowledge of Australia. The best part of this trip was learning about Australia and making new friends. Thanisa introduced her friends to me. They are pleasant and kind. At the end of the day, I didn’t want to come home because I saw so many beautiful things and I had great fun with my new friends.