Hundreds of after-hour language schools in New South Wales currently operating online are being given a significant boost with a teaching tool that will enhance their professional prowess.
The Minister for Customer Service, Victor Dominello MP, launched the adoption in NSW of the Additio Learning Management System which will give language teachers a powerful online tool to organise and plan every aspect of their community language teaching.
The Additio Learning Management System from Spain is currently used by 100,000 teachers round the world.
Speaking at the on-line launch, Mr Dominello said: “The potential language skills of our children inherit because of the cultural backgrounds of their parents and grandparents must not be wasted.
“This new teaching system provides a unique opportunity for our teachers to enhance their skills in face-to-face and in distance classes.
“COVID-19 has interrupted this teaching as it has all other aspects of education. Let us seize this opportunity to greatly improve our system,” he said.
The Acting Minister for Multiculturalism, Geoff Lee said Community Language Schools are an integral part of our NSW multicultural communities.
“They ensure the diverse range of languages that are spoken in NSW thrive and are passed on to future generations of young Australians,” Mr Lee said.
The Additio system will be offered by the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools Inc. which represents 250 member schools in 460 locations with 3000 teachers and approximately 35,000 students learning the 85 different languages available.
The President of the Federation, Lúcia Johns, welcomed the launch saying it would further “professionalise the skills of our army of language educators”.
“Our unique system of teaching children a second language in their own time, away from the week-day school system has enormous economic and social value. The introduction of this new teaching tool greatly strengthens that system.
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“It will allow teachers to keep teaching material, attendance records, assignment outcomes and individual students’ progress all in one place and easily accessible,” she said.