A plan to boost Australia’s community language schools with a funding of up to $30,000 was announced earlier today by Shadow Minister for Education Tanya Plibersek, during the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools Annual State Community Language Teachers Conference hosted in the University of Technology’s Great Hall.
Read the announcement below:
More Australian kids will get the chance to learn another language thanks to Labor’s plan to give every community language school in Australia a funding boost .
There are around 780 community language schools across the country, teaching around 105,000 students in over 90 languages.
This $15 million commitment will allow community language schools to expand their programs to preschoolers, improve teacher training, and upgrade classroom resources. The grants could also help improve access for disadvantaged students, strengthen online delivery, or go towards setting up a new school.
For example, the funding might be used to subsidise a teacher’s TAFE course in community languages, purchase educational equipment such as laptops, or develop new teaching materials.
Currently, community language schools teach mostly school-age kids. But the younger someone starts learning another language, the easier it is to pick it up. That’s why we’ve made sure this funding can help more community language schools open their classrooms to preschoolers.
Community language schools have been operating in Australia for more than 150 years and have made an important contribution to our success as a multicultural nation.
Community language schools mean kids born or growing up in Australia can learn the language and culture of their parents, grandparents, and others who migrated here from overseas.
They help Australia’s multicultural communities thrive.
Learning a second language is good for all Australian kids, regardless of their language or cultural background. It helps prepare them for the economy and jobs of the future.
