The school’s co-founder, former beauty queen Deborah Henry, said that the two children were admitted into University of Nottingham Malaysia’s foundation course under a special programme.
Henry regarded this as one of her best moments since founding the school in 2008 along with a friend.
“Had they not been given the opportunity; they wouldn’t be where they are today. At Fugee School, we recognise that each student has great potential. And now, two kids with no formal education background got accepted into a foundation course in the University of Nottingham.
“It’s such a miracle that it gives hope to other people that they too, can achieve that,” Henry said.
The school’s managing director Jessica Chapman said the school’s efforts are centered on the theme of sustainability and technology.
The Singapore syllabus is used in the primary school, and secondary level students are taught technology-based skills based on the Raspberry Pi microcomputer.
“It is cost effective as well. Students have been learning how to code using the USD25 Raspberry Pi. So, it’s pretty much programmes based on systems designs and sustainable thinking. I regard this as 21st century skills development,” Chapman said.
Learning computer programming could lead students to getting technology-based jobs in any country where they are resettled.
“It is sort of the legal way around it. If they are doing it online, they are not going to get into any trouble. In Germany, there’s a school teaching coding because that’s a good way to get work for refugees. It works in Syria too.
“It’s a cost effective method to offer education to a population that’s deprived of it.”
Deborah Henry recalled her early days of working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, saying that it was then when she first visited a Somali family in the city.
“I went to their apartment and I saw four kids. They couldn’t speak, read or write. I remembered leaving the apartment that day and I said to myself, I can’t just give RM50 and walk away from this. I had to do something.”
She said it was at that moment that she knew she had to step in and assist in any way.
She began by providing tuition for refugee children in 2008, and forming Fugee School a year later with her friend.
With a small amount of funds, they rented an apartment and gathered some 60 students together with a couple of teachers.
“As we stumbled along, we made a lot of mistakes. So we have really learnt as we grew. We made many improvements as we began to realise the kind of education that we would like to provide to the refugees.
“But of course, there are a lot of challenges at the end of the day,” she said.
“The struggle of running an NGO is to be able to raise funds or to keep the school running and to have a very strong vision of what you want to do. We aim to harness each kid’s potential so they can believe in themselves that they can be whatever they want to become.”