AUSTRALIA
An innovative western Sydney school program that has swapped desks for barber's chairs has been hailed a success in re-engaging at-risk boys.
A classroom-cum-barbershop at Granville Boys High School is home to the Groom Room, where students learn how to chop, clip and fade over a 10-week program.
"Essentially we're teaching the boys about the barbering shop but within an urban barbershop," project facilitator Leo Tainoi said. "We talk to them about life matters; boys-to-men conversations about things that are relevant to them [and] outside of school as well."
The school, located in one of the most multicultural regions in the country, caters to around 500 students, 99 per cent of which come from non-English-speaking backgrounds. Those selected to take part in the program are disengaged from mainstream education.
"They're not doing too well, they skip classes, they're having problems," Mr Tanoi said. "This program is highly successful in terms of the skillsets that have been handed over. We've cut about 80 people's hair."
Improving school behaviour
Ten weeks on, deputy principal Noel Dixon said the success was evident.
"We've had tremendous growth in all areas of their schooling by a number of the boys in this program. We've had boys who have been on long suspensions before who haven't been suspended once since they've been involved with this program.
"We thought it would be successful, but it's been far more successful than we thought it would be."
Finding employment and morals
While motivation behind the program incorporates far more than equipping students with practical barbering skills, past participants have followed barbering as a career path.
Kanavale Talakai received his graduation clippers in 2016, before the Groom Room became a permanent fixture in the school grounds. Now, he's a barber at a fast-paced city store.
"[The program] was really good," he said. "It opened my eyes up to a new lifestyle and barbering, but new morals I guess as well; like when you grow up and you want to focus more on what you want in the future."
Reducing conflict
Fourteen-year-old Ayman Alameddine, who's just completed the course, said he wished he was able to come along an work in the barbershop more often.
"I love it. If you give me two times a week, I'd come two times," he said.
Between clips, Ayman said he believed the program had helped to reduce conflict within the school.
"All the boys get together [and] we all become one community and we become mates.
Fellow barbershop student Mohomed Hamdan hopes to start a business where he can cut his cousins' hair.
"My future will probably be this, cutting hair," the 14-year-old said. "We learn to go to the house, get your cousins and start cutting. I haven't started yet, but I will after this."
By Harriet Tatham
3 July 2018
