The introduction of new advanced classes for children of newly arrived migrants from Greece will begin in early February – in time for the new school year. The initiative – organised by the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV) – has sparked an interest from local parents whose children have a strong command of the Greek language and who aren’t being challenged by the current curriculum.
“Your typical after hours Greek School student is now third generation – English is their first language, English is spoken by their parents – and in many cases even grandparents – interaction and exposure with Greek language reinforcing activities varies greatly so there’s a massive gap in language fluency and this chasm will only get greater,” said Dr Nick Dallas, GOCMV board and education committee member.
“Greek Australian parents who have been proactive in maintaining their children’s language fluency naturally see this school as a possible solution.”
The curriculum of the new campuses – to be based in Chadstone (Tuesday evenings) and the CBD (Saturday mornings) – will be based on existing textbooks used in Greece, not those published for Greeks of the diaspora.
Recently the teaching staff, headed by the new school’s coordinator, Maria Bakalidou, conducted a workshop to flesh out the curriculum and school’s program. Enrolments have already gotten off to a strong start and parental feedback has been encouraging for the GOCMV’s investment in this education initiative.