International Students
Our first international students
MGSC has reached out far and wide and across the world to find past pupils in our 70th anniversary year.
One delightful reconnection is with, Janie Fung, one of the first of five international students who attended Mentone Girls' High School in 1963.
Janie has kindly answered some questions from current international students about how it all began over 60 years ago.
The student interviewers
Cici
Eunice
Kemi
Kimmie
Cici
Eunice
Kemi
Kimmie
The questions
- What advice would you give to current students based on your experience?
- How easy or difficult was it to fit into the Australian culture and education system back to your school days
- Did the subjects you chose at Mentone Girls' High School influence your future career choices?
- As a foreign student in Australia, did you face any language or cultural barriers? How did you overcome them?
- How did the cultural and social environment at the school in 1963 compare to what you see in schools today?
- What advice would you give to current international students facing challenges similar to what you experienced back then?
Janie's response
Please thank the girls for their insightful questions. I shall try to address them as best I can, although maybe not seemingly to be directly answering the individual questions. However, I think the girls shall upon reflection on the responses, recognise the answers they are seeking.
The biggest difference between international students coming to study in Australia now and then (1963/4) I feel has been the current 'institution' of student accommodation in the form of massive apartment blocks, privately built, owned and operated; or college built, leased, and/or college operated. Home stays were very much a part of the life of students in those days. Whether it was full-board (3 meals a day every day) or half-board (only breakfasts and dinners provided and students have to seek lunches on their own), the quantity and quality of food provided varied, depending on how responsible the 'landlord/landlady' were. There were many stories, and of course, the country of origin of the landlord/landlady often determined what cuisine types were offered, and there were many stories.
Another factor observed then and not so much now is the lack of wealth of the students coming to study then compared to now in Australia. Students who came in those days were usually of middle-class, many having to work during holidays in order to be able to pay fees and afford living expenses. I have heard stories of how some students have couch-surfed, and struggled through term. Public transport was not the best in the past, and public transport would often not run during weekends. Not many students would drive or be able to afford a car in those days and many students would 'car pool'. Notices on boards would have offers of shared rooms, shared transport, and part-time jobs etc.
Homesickness was inevitable, not only for family and friends, but also for the food, the smell, and the noise in the streets of home. I think these were the most difficult emotions to overcome. It was not always easy to pin-point what the issues were, but only that you missed home. I used to comfort myself that home was only 8 hours away, and I could talk myself to putting up with that. The other most significant difference in those days was the poor and exorbitant cost of communication. A telephone call home would generally only be made in exceptional circumstances, a parent's birthday, some special occasion like a graduation, a wedding etc. There certainly wasn't a mobile that you could call overseas at a whim, at no extra cost. There certainly wasn't the freedom of individual/group video calls. So communication ease nowadays has certainly afforded a forge in closeness though far apart, and in some instances, afford the building up of a stronger bond. With a bigger group of international students, it would be much easier to get together to talk about food, events, and fashion. 'Parcels' with all sorts of 'goodies' from home were highlights in the '60s. Now, there is almost nothing you can't buy in Melbourne.
For subjects undertaken at MGSC, these were subjects I liked and felt comfortable with. There was nowhere near the choice of subjects available today, and neither was there the choice of careers either. I don't recall there being a Careers Night and/or counselled ever by a career teacher. Unlike some, my family had not insisted on a law, medical or accountancy degree; I was able to choose those subjects relevant to the career choice I had in mind. I had some very kind, caring teachers and school friends. Don't be too set on the subjects you choose now. Remember whatever course you do now, you are likely to change your career in years to come. People say that it is nothing to change careers 6-7 times in a lifetime.
In those days, when there was only a handful of international students, many local students were as reticent at meeting us as we were to meet them. But once the ice thawed, they are just like any school girls with a funny story to tell. I am not sure what the school culture is like, but I would like to think that there is little if any 'racism' at all in the school. However, there must still be those who are not familiar with other cultures, and thus hold back. I think it is up to individuals to bridge the gap and put out a hand of friendship. There is nothing to lose, and this is how you can broaden your friendship circle, and make use of this wonderful opportunity to meet and cultivate a new friend in a new environment and culture. I am still in touch with a couple of MGSC girls, and hope to catch up with them at the 70th Anniversary.
I wish you all the very best in your studies and time in Australia. Don't forget to balance study and play to derive the best value of your time here.
Warm regards
Janie Fung (nee Chan)
Janie shared photos, including this one with Miss Nina Carr at an informal reunion (date unknown). Janie is on the left and her sister Maria on the right.
