Greek teachers, parents and grandparents are preparing for a fight after they say Yarra Council quietly axed its popular Greek-language story reading program earlier this month.
But Yarra Council refutes the claim saying the council was not only committed to keeping the free Greek-language program, but also improving it by asking for community feedback on its format.
Kindergarten and Greek language teacher, Vicky Petalas, 50, who has been hosting the free storybook program at inner-city Richmond library since February 2022, said she was notified via phone and then e-mail that the program was axed.
“It was announced to me over the phone by Lizzie Gilmour, Team Leader Collingwood Library and Childrens and Youth Services Yarra Libraries and confirmed with an e-mail as well the following days,” she said.
Speaking to Neos Kosmos on Tuesday, Ms Petalas said she had not been notified that the program would resume for term 1.
“I am not aware of the Council’s intentions regarding the Greek Storytelling Program,” she said.
” ‘Til this moment, my last communication with the Council was the e-mail confirming that Yarra Libraries won’t be supporting Greek Stories and Play(program) financially this year. I haven’t any other information since, either verbal or written.”
The January 9 e-mail, seen by Neos Kosmos, clearly states that the program has been terminated and whether Ms Petalas and participant families would like it to “continue as a community-led session”.
“As discussed, we won’t be supporting Greek Stories and Play financially this year. Please let me know if you or the families would like to continue the Greek Stories and Play as a community-led session this year,” Ms Gilmour, of Yarra Council, states in her e-mail.
Ms Petalas, who lives in the Nillumbik Shire Council and has more than 30 years experience in early childhood teaching in Australia and Greece, said the Greek reading program was invaluable and needed to continue.
“The Greek Story Time program is more than just reading books,” she said.
“It’s about preserving and sharing our rich Greek heritage with younger generations.
“It’s about fostering a love for learning and promoting literacy among children of the wider community.”
A Yarra Council spokesperson said the Greek Stories and Play program was not being cancelled and would return to Richmond Library in 2024.
“Rest assured that this important, community-led program will continue to be supported by Yarra Libraries,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the council was also making a “call to action” for volunteers to assist with the delivery of the program.
Semi-retired Greek and English teacher Maria Foscolos,62, who has 30 years experience in the Victorian education system, said she came all the way from Bundoora every Wednesday last year so her three-year-old granddaughter could attend the program.
“Parents, they are coming from up in the eastern suburbs to the northern suburbs in Mill Park,” she said.
Ms Foscolos said there was keen interest in the unique one-hour long program with 10 children attending every week with an additional five or six attending regularly.
Ms Foscolos, who has taught with the Victorian School of Languages for 17 years, said the preschoolers learnt the Greek language, dancing, singing, reading, craft and playing games so well they passed on their knowledge.
“And they would go home and teach their parents,” she said.
Ms Foscolos said parents and grandparents found out early January that the program was cancelled due to budget constraints.
She said the cost of running the weekly hour-long program would be less than $100 a week and the parents and grandparents were gearing up to fight any decision to terminate the program.
Ms Foscolos said participants had established a chat group, an on-line petition, written to Yarra Council, and contacted the Modern Greek Teachers’ Association, the PHAROS initiative on revitalising modern Greek in Victoria, Greek community groups and the Greek media.
Yarra resident and mother of two, Maria Tsakakis, started the “Preserve the Greek Story Time Program at Richmond Library” on-line petition last week and had already amassed more than 150 signatures by yesterday(Tuesday) afternoon to save the Greek book reading program.
In starting the petition, Ms Tsakakis outlined that she believed the free Greek storybook program was invaluable.
“The Greek Story Time program is more than just reading books; it’s about preserving and sharing our rich Greek heritage with younger generations,” she wrote on the change.org website.
“It’s about fostering a love for learning and promoting literacy among children in Yarra. Unfortunately, this valuable cultural resource is under threat.”
Ms Tsakakis also stated that according to Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 Census more than 6 per cent of residents in Yarra were born in Greece or have Greek ancestry.
“The library’s program serves as an important link between these residents and their cultural roots,” she wrote.
Yarra Council has been running weekly story time programs in various languages, including Greek , for a few years at its five libraries in Richmond, Collingwood, Fitzroy, Carlton and Bargoonga Nganjin (North Fitzroy).
Aimed at introducing preschool children to a wide range of stories, books, songs and activities as well as developing language, social and motor skills, the weekly program is for three to five-years-old and held during school term.
Yarra Council is asking anyone who would like to help deliver this “new program on a voluntary basis”, to contact Lizzie Gilmour on 9205 5555 or info@yarracity.vic.gov.au