Delivering on its election commitment, the South Australian Government will invest an additional $4 million over four years to support our communities to keep their languages alive among younger generations.
A community language school is a non-profit making, after-hours language and culture school open to all students, irrespective of their linguistic background.
These schools are run by dedicated volunteers who ensure language, history and culture are shared with the children of our diverse community.
Community Language Schools SA is the peak member body that supports 98 fully accredited community language schools in South Australia teaching 48 community languages.
In consultation with Community Language Schools SA, Multicultural Affairs in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet funding incorporates service improvements and additional resource requirements.
Community Language Schools SA has determined it can achieve high impact results for new and existing community language schools in South Australia.
This is the first instalment of the government’s election commitment. This funding will focus on:
- Governance and compliance training packages
- Increase in Community Language School SA staffing
- Deliver face-to-face school personnel training courses in the north of Adelaide
As a first step, Community Language Schools SA in conjunction with an industry provider, will develop and deliver a governance and compliance training package for community language schools.
The training package will include assistance for schools to develop a plan for their ongoing governance and to ensure compliance with the legislative requirements for running a community language school in our state.
The second priority activity will be to increase staffing at Community Language Schools SA to provide intensive case management and curriculum development services for new and existing community language schools for an initial 12 months.
The third priority activity will be for Community Language Schools SA to deliver some of its face-to-face school personnel training courses (teacher workshops and child safe workshops) in the north of Adelaide.
All training is currently provided at Hindmarsh and Goodwood. Relocating the training to the north of Adelaide will make it more accessible to a large proportion of community language school staff.
Additional investment is intended to support the growth and development of community language schools in our State and the State Government’s commitment to growing a bilingual community in South Australia.
“The SA government is committed to supporting our diverse community and more importantly its young leaders,” SA Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Zoe Bettison MP, said.
“Our goal is to continually support and promote cohesion within the diversity of South Australia’s multicultural society keeping in mind that our forever growing multicultural communities and our children are an integral part of our future as a society and as a State.”
