The Education Revolution program is being rolled out and the position of languages is a point of discussion and of some concern.
The first elements (English, Mathematics, Science and History) of the National Curriculum have been presented for consultation. The languages education component may be implemented by 2012-2013.

There is wide discussion about the position of languages education in the National Curriculum.
The National Asian Language Studies in Schools Program (NALSSA) is part of the discussion aiming that by 2020 students will be Asia literate.

The Ministerial Council on Education Employment Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCCEDYA) is updating The National Languages Plan which is based on the National Statement for Languages Education in Australian Schools 2005-2008.

This is the backdrop for current discussions as to where languages education is heading.
A number of questions are naturally raised.
Will languages be a key part of the National Curriculum and will it continue be acknowledged as a key learning area in all jurisdictions?

Will all languages be given the opportunity to be studied whether through mainstream schools or complementary providers?
Will the $62 million extra funding for promoting Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean see an uptake in these languages at the expense of others?

Community Languages Australia’s position is that languages must form part of the national curriculum and be maintained as a key learning area.

All languages must have the opportunity to be delivered through a variety of providers (mainstream schools and complementary providers: community languages schools, schools of languages and Distance Education).

This will occur with a systemic approach to planning, delivery and evaluation.

The issues of teachers’ supply, quality programs, curriculum retention delivery of 40 plus languages at VCE are a key topic at many fora.
But we seem to return to the same questions such as, is languages education important in children’s education?

Or, should languages education be part of a national curriculum and a key learning area?

Then, should there be room for all languages?
We have responded in the affirmative to these questions many times and it’s time now to solutions which will improve quality, delivery while promoting and encouraging the teaching of languages other than English.

We also need to improve supply, continuity and the processes for monitoring implementation while determining what the expected outcomes should be.

There is also the need to increase uptake and retention rates in languages education up to VCE-HSC.

As importantly, we want to ensure the availability of a wide range of languages in our schools and through complementary provision and no reduction through suspension of languages.

We need to engage communities in the discussion and delivery of languages and having communities take more responsibility for student and parents engagement.
Community Languages Australia believes that the 1992 LOTE Strategy Plan provided a realistic and deliverable model which covered all languages.

It included the inclusion of key languages in mainstream schools and a balance between Asian and European is required.

The plan also underscored those languages assigned priority development, thus requiring additional support and development because of their importance to Australia’s emerging language needs.

Important to our discussion it also highlighted the need to signal out languages of community significance and languages which have importance in a given geographical area.

Many of these languages are now being primarily provided by community languages schools or schools of languages.

In addition to the above, another vital area now is our Indigenous languages, a neglected are and now growing in significance.

At present the Strategic Plan Indigenous languages is a vital tool for strengthening this area.
Testing the above against the Strands of the National Plan for Languages Education in Australian Schools 2005-2008 will ensure all languages have a suitable place in Australia’s education program.

This should feed into the discussions on the National Curriculum.
There is no doubt we live in the Asian Region and we have significant Asian Australian communities, and for strategic purposes NALSSAP has the potential of raising awareness.

But an understanding the European significance in Australia’s history and make up is equally important.
Decision makers should consider the importance of the Greek language in learning and having a better appreciation of English, not only linguistically, but culturally.
Many culturally loaded terms in English are derived from Greek.

This is no longer an argument based on demographics but on strengthening language skills and proficiency of all language learners.

Greek has much to contribute in this regard.
Our goal should be to have a balanced approach to languages education, delivering quality programs and ensuring the National Curriculum creates new opportunities for delivering languages education in systemic and flexible ways.

The vehicle is based on a range of providers. Qualified teachers, new technologies and support from government places us well in having a policy which values all languages while understanding the demand of the region.

Most importantly we provide students the ability to grow intellectually and socially.
Greek is taught by a range of providers in Australia to ensure maintenance but our objective should be to make it attractive to the wider community of learners in private and government mainstream schools.

It is comforting and reassuring that all parts of the Australian Greek community have united and are focused on the major issues; languages in the national curriculum and the role of Greek in that curriculum.

The cooperation exhibited now between the community, the education sector, academics, the media and our politicians should continue so as to highlight the concerns of the Greek community and provide decision makers with rational solutions to complex questions.

Have diverse opinions, but around the major issues be united.

Tassos Douvartzides is a key member of Community Languages Australia, the umbrella body designed to unite the ethnic schools of Australia.