The Greek Centre in Melbourne filled with pride and applause on Saturday, October 18 as the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) honoured students of all ages who achieved the Certificate of Attainment in Greek.
Hosted by Georgia Margariti, GCM’s Coordinator of Greek Language Programs, the ceremony celebrated not just linguistic achievement but the growing passion for Greek learning in Victoria.
“Every year we see more faces joining us,” Margariti said, thanking educators for their tireless commitment.
“The work is hard, there’s effort, stress and long hours; but moments like these remind us why we do it. We want this ceremony to feel like a giortí, a celebration for the students, families and teachers who make it all possible.”
Now in its second year of organising the examinations, the GCM reported a 50% increase in participation compared to 2024, with 63 candidates successfully sitting and securing the Certificate of Attainment in Greek in 2025. The organisation also achieved a success rate of over 99%, reflecting the growing interest and commitment to Greek language learning within Victoria.
The ceremony was attended by more than 130 guests, including candidates, parents, and teachers, all celebrating the importance of maintaining and promoting the Greek language in Australia.
Successful candidates represented a range of educational institutions, including the GCM Schools, the GCM Modern Greek Short Course (Adult) program, Oakleigh Grammar, St John’s College, and South Oakleigh College.
GCM President Bill Papastergiadis OAM congratulated learners for their dedication.
“What you’ve achieved today is very significant,” he said, adding that the certificate “opens doors across Europe and to Greek universities.”
He reminded the audience that Greek “is not just a tool for communication but the foundation of our civilisation; the language of Homer, Plato and Aristotle.” He also encouraged students never to give up, noting his own experience improving his Greek later in life.
Among those honoured was Christopher Zuccala, a teacher at St Monica’s College. “I’m Italian, not Greek,” he said with a smile. “But since we offer Greek at school, I thought, why not learn it too? It’s been a great journey.”
Zach, who skipped Greek school as a child, decided to take it up again as an adult.
“I didn’t learn it as a kid and I really regret it. I’m making up for lost time,” he said, surrounded by his proud family. His enthusiasm has inspired his sister to start learning too.
For George Vakirtzis, 18, who earned the Γ2 certificate, motivation came from family.
“My grandmother (Anastasia Karagianni) helped me so much,” George said. “I always spoke Greek with yiayia – she told me to learn the language for myself.”
Young learner Anastasia Kalafatis received two awards in one day, one at the Greek Centre and another at the Australian Hellenic War Memorial’s student competition in the morning.
“It makes me more confident to continue learning Greek,” she said. “I speak only Greek at home, go to Greek school every Tuesday, and have two Greek lessons a week at school.”
Another student, Chryssanthi Psara, shared her joy in speaking Greek with her grandparents. “My Greek would not be this good without them,” she said.
Her grandmother laughed, “She always asks me what I’m cooking – and I keep telling them to speak Greek.”
Spyridoula Demetriou, GCM Board Member, addressing the audience, encouraged learners to keep engaging with Greek through cultural events such as the Greek Film Festival.
Reflecting on her own experiences, she said, “To this day, I think about that experience of landing in Athens and realising that the Greek I spoke was not the same Greek I encountered in Greece. But it was no matter, the immersive experience of being surrounded by Greek gave me a wider vocabulary and more expressive intonation.”
Moira Triantafyllou, Acting Coordinator of Educational Affairs at the Greek Consulate, praised all involved. “Greek is a living language,” she said. “Congratulations to all the teachers, parents, grandparents and students for keeping it alive.”
She also commended the 63 successful candidates and the GCM’s efforts in strengthening Greek language education. Triantafyllou noted that the Certificate of Attainment in Greek is more than an academic qualification – it represents a personal journey of dedication and cultural pride.
Applications for the 2026 Certificate of Attainment in Greek examinations will open on 1 February 2026 and close on 20 March 2026.
