For most Wagga students the thought of going to school on the weekend would be ludicrous, but for Sri Lankan-born Nethukee Jayasekera, Sunday is her favourite school day.
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Each weekend, the eight year old attends Wagga’s Sinhala Language School along with 20 other students to learn the language of her home country.
Running since late 2014 and held at Sturt Public School, the classes consist of students aged between five and 17, with lessons focusing on writing, reading and speaking Sinhalese.
“I love coming to the classes because I get to see my friends and it means I can talk to my grandparents and cousins back in Sri Lanka,” Nethukee said.
School founder, Yapa Bandara, said giving children this connection with their home country was one of the main reasons for establishing the school.
"Sri Lankan parents felt there was something missing from the Wagga community, given the large population of Sri Lankans here," he said.
"They've come from their home country and they miss their culture and traditions and wanted their children to be able to remember these things.
“Most of the relatives of these families are in Sri Lanka and we want the children here to be able to communicate with their loved ones and maintain a sense of where they have come from.”
