Modern Greek the focus as Pharos Alliance members hold meeting at Parliament House

·

On Wednesday, August 28, Pharos Alliance representatives Professor Emeritus Joseph Lo Bianco, Dr Stephie Nikoloudis, Despina Sarandis, Theo Markos and Denise Diakodimitriou met with Victorian Minister for Education & Research, also Deputy Premier, Ben Carroll and Member for Bentleigh, Nick Staikos MP, as well as officials from their respective departments, at Parliament House. 

It was a cordial and productive meeting with both sides declaring that they will continue to work together in the interests of revitalising Modern Greek in the public education system and supporting broader and inclusive multicultural principles.

One specific aim of the meeting was to establish a practice of providing updates to the government on the work of Pharos Alliance and to seek support for future projects.

Many topics were discussed including : concerns for the current state of Greek in government schools and hopes for future expansion; the value added to Lalor North Primary School’s Greek Bilingual Program by a promotions grant; the advocacy undertaken by Pharos to support Greek programs which are facing challenges, such as those at Northcote High School and Coburg West Primary School; the strength of Early Years Greek language programs in pre-schools and bilingual story times in public libraries, which can create pathways for future learning all the way to tertiary level; the need to increase the number of qualified teachers of Greek in Victoria; initiatives to maintain and grow numbers of students studying VCE Greek; how the Pharos Alliance has collaborated with other communities facing similar challenges and how our operating mechanism can be a model that others could follow; and, the importance of maintaining Greek as part of a commitment to multiculturalism even beyond its claim to cultural and intellectual claims to presence in the school curriculum.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the meeting was the evident interest and preparation of the Minister and Mr Staikos in Pharos and its research, programs, and efforts to mobilise the whole community. 

The Pharos delegation thanked government officials for the opportunity to meet and said they look forward to continuing the dialogue.

Pharos Alliance is a broad-based alliance of community stakeholders dedicated to the revitalisation of the teaching and use of Modern Greek in schools, in homes and in the community. Its work is framed by a Strategic Plan based on the research findings detailed in Professor Joseph Lo Bianco’s book ‘Pharos: The vitality and presence of Modern Greek in contemporary Australia’.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From crisis to compassion: Timos Roussos and his family’s mercy mission in war-torn Cyprus

When Turkish troops landed on Cyprus on 20 July 1974, six-year-old Timos Roussos was sitting on the floor of his family’s home in Lemesos.

A granddaughter returns: Georgia Georgiou retraces her yiayia’s occupied village in Cyprus

When Georgia Georgiou handed over her Cypriot ID at the border checkpoint to cross into occupied northern Cyprus, she felt an ache.

‘You never get over it’: A childhood shattered by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

On a warm July morning in 1974, 10-year-old Anastasia Di Loreto (née Karatzia) was jolted awake by the sound of bombs falling on Kyrenia.

Cyprus: The paradox of tolerance and impunity for Turkey

The lack of a unified, systematic and practical strategy on the part of Greece has led the Cyprus crisis into national disarray.

Lost homes and lingering hope: Greek-Cypriots reflect on Turkish invasion and its aftermath

From hidden stories to haunting memories, two Greek-Cypriot men share what it means to carry the burden of Cyprus’ past.

You May Also Like

How St.Gerry’s became the catalyst of the Greek donut craze in Australia

At the time, there were not many dessert food trucks in the capital city of Victoria. There were many Greeks though.

PAOK wins Greek Super League championship after dramatic final

PAOK defeated Aris 2-1 on Sunday at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium in the most dramatic finale in the history of the Greek Super League.

Greek American police officer shot at Las Vegas protest in critical condition

Greek American officer Shay Mikalonis continued to fight for his life on Wednesday after undergoing successful surgery to remove a bullet from his neck.