This week is Adult Learners’ Week/He Tangata Mātauranga (4-10 Sept 2017), celebrating all adult learning whether it’s upskilling for a better job, preparing for further study, improving life skills or having fun.

It is supported by the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO and incorporates International Literacy Day on September 8.

Every year thousands of ACE providers, educators, learners and supporters organise a huge range of events to highlight the value of adult learning.

This year’s celebration was launched in Wellington with a breakfast event in the Parliamentary Grand Hall. English Language Partners staff were enormously proud, as Majed Burhan, one of our wonderful Syrian learners through our Porirua branch, accepted the offer to speak at this prestigious event.

Majed is from Syria. She studied Arabic literature at tertiary level prior to having a family. In early 2016 Majed, her husband and their three children arrived in New Zealand from Lebanon where they had lived as refugees for three years.

Majed made fast progress in her studies at English Language Partners, initially undertaking the ESOL Intensive course, and also working with ESOL volunteer home tutor Max, before moving on to ACE funded English Language Group classes, studying the equivalent of NZQA Level 2 in English.

Majed is now studying NZQA Level 3 at Whitirea Polytechnic and also works part-time at Pomegranate Kitchen (www.pomegranate.org.nz).

Watch Majed’s full speech at parliament below:

Watch Jacqs, manager of ELPNZ Porirua centre, talk about Majed’s excellent progress as a learner… she is SO proud!

Max and Majed discuss the merits of volunteer home tutors:

For more information about Adult Learners Week, please visit:

www.adultlearnersweek.org.nz