Being unable to fathom your child’s homework is something most parents dread.

But for some refugee parents who have not had the benefit of a basic education, even everyday addition and subtraction can pose a real challenge.

At Auburn North Public School about 200 students are from war-torn Afghanistan.

Many of these students’ mothers missed out on a formal education because the harsh laws of the former Taliban Government forbid women to attend school after the age of eight.

However Maths for Mums, a program running for parents at the school, is giving some of these women their first experience in a classroom environment and teaching them basic mathematics.

Program coordinator Christine Daujotis said the idea for the classes came up at one of the school’s numeracy information sessions and a group of Afghan mothers was immediately interested.

Ms Daujotis said the first classes consisted of nine mothers aged between 20 to 40 years.

The women’s numeracy skills were so poor they relied on their husbands to do the shopping and pay bills. As many of the women had babies and toddlers with them, childcare was arranged for the class.

“When we started they didn’t recognise the addition or subtraction symbols, or how to line numbers up to add them,” Ms Daujotis said.

“They all said how much they loved the opportunity to learn and were really hungry for more.”

The mothers have reported significant successes after just one term, such as being able to identify their own phone number and the ability to recognise the value of different coins and notes.

Maths for Mums will continue at Harmony House this term. Located at Auburn North Public School, Harmony House is a participant in the Schools as Communities Centre program that offers early intervention and support for families with children up to eight years old.