– Everything is possible, says Zahra Alavi. She says that quite often. It has been her rule of life for the past five years. Five years ago she had her first day of school. Not at the age of six or seven. Zahra Alavi was 37. Today she is 42 and about to finish her high school internship. In the autumn, she will become an apprentice as a healthcare worker in Haugesund municipality. – I’m really looking forward to it, she says. Zahra could hardly believe it when she got the place. – I was in shock when I opened the letter that I had been given an apprenticeship. I had to double check with my sister to make sure I had read correctly, says Zahra. Zahra Alavi is now in practice at Bjørgene care center. Photo: Rosa Irén Villalobos / news Never went to school Zahra Alavi and her family actually come from Iran. When she was a baby, the family moved to Afghanistan. At that time, immigrants did not receive free schooling in the country. And the parents could not afford to pay for Zahra to get any kind of education. As an adult, she looked after her sick and aging father for several years. Therefore, she could neither read nor write when she came to Norway. – I started by learning the alphabet months before I started school here, says the 42-year-old. After that, she has worked hard to get to where she is today. – But it hasn’t been that difficult. Age is just a number. I think most people can do this if they really want to, she says. Zahra Alavi has spent many hours in this classroom with her teacher, Natalia Zurawska. Photo: Rosa Irén Villalobos / news – A miracle 16,300 adults took secondary education at school or adult education centers during the 2021–22 school year. The number has been fairly stable over the past 10 years. At adult education in Haugesund, the teachers are surprised by everything Zahra has achieved. Natalia Zurawska is proud of everything Zahra has achieved in recent years. Photo: Rosa Irén Villalobos / news – It is almost a miracle, and I am so proud of her. It gives so much to be able to help someone who really wants to get an education, says Natalia Zurawska. She has been Zahra’s teacher for the past few years. – A normal time course for what Zahra has done would be around 12-13 years, says the teacher. Professor impressed At the Reading Center at the University of Stavanger, they are impressed by Zahra’s achievements. – What Zahra has achieved is impressive. What she has achieved is evidence of high motivation, good effort and good working methods and strategies for learning, says Professor Kjersti Lundetræ. She says it is demanding for everyone to learn new languages. – It usually takes at least five years if you are not only going to be able to converse with others on a basic level, but also learn a more academic language, as you do at school, she says. Professor Kjersti Lundetræ at the Learning Center at the University of Stavanger. Photo: ELISABETH TØNNESSEN / PRIVATE Lundetræ believes that it can be fairly easy to understand the principle in Norwegian written language for adults who have not had the opportunity to learn to read. – But it is very demanding to learn the grammar of the language, in addition to learning a whole lot of words. Learning languages requires a lot of effort, you don’t get it for free, says the professor. This summer, Zahra will work. In addition, she will practice drive with her brother. – I want to get a certificate, she says. – Zahra is really proof that anything is possible, says teacher Natalia Zurawska.
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Zahra went from illiterate to fully educated in five years – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
