Pharos Alliance, a group focused on supporting the Greek language, has submitted to the Victorian Government’s call for a multicultural review. Pharos want to augment the teaching of Greek and have provided a range views encompassing support for language education and support for ethnic media.
The Victorian government has recently undertaken a series of consultations seeking feedback on a review of the how the state can best serve multiculturalism and on the role and functions of the Victorian Multicultural Commission.
Pharos submitted an application for the review, noting down several suggestions and recommendations.
Pharos in its submission among many things also calls for an increase of funding for public media services, for the number and hours of language delivered. They point to the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF) which they say, “have changed its funding structure to limit funding to stations delivering multiple languages”.
Pharos’ wants to increase support for the Community Broadcasting Foundation, to deliver funding to specific language programs in ethnic media. In the submission Pharos point to 3ZZZ community ethnic radio station which broadcasts in over 70 languages a week in Victoria, however do not mention independent multicultural media or SBS.
Vasso Zangalis from Pharos spoke to Neos Kosmos and said that 3ZZZ Radio, “was just one example.”
“I didn’t want to pinpoint one organisation out, it was just one example, and I did want to include independent multicultural media,” Zangalis said.
Pharos has called for fairer VCE language scaling, noting that current differences between languages disadvantage subjects like Greek. Pharos point to the fact that many students drop Greek by Year 10, believing it hurts their VCE scores and in response they proposed a uniform scaling boost for all VCE languages and recommended three exam tiers for Greek: one for native speakers, one for recent arrivals, and one for learners from Year 7, ensuring fairer assessment across the Greek Australian community. Neos Kosmos asked if Pharos, believes that third generation Australians drop Greek after year 10 if it’s because they cant leverage off it in VCE, what evidence they may have for that belief.
“I think Pharos has had stories of teachers of Greek, and evidence from student who say that because it’s waited less they’re less likely to pick up Greek at VCE,” said Zangalis.
Many native speakers of Greek that came after 2008 Financial Crisis do so well in Greek that it intimidates Greek Australian students born here.
Zangalis acknowledge that nad said, that “there is there is a two system at the moment”.
“I know there’s some feedback that it’s the same test or both native speakers and those born here and they says the test is just marked differently.
“That’s my understanding of how it works, you know what? Anything is better than nothing though” said Zangalis.
Neos Kosmos pointed to how Italian has succeeded more than Greek in being embedded in state and Catholic schools.
Zangalis said that “The Italian community made a deliberate decision not to establish a widespread network of after hour language schools”.
“It was a conscious choice, and today, the only remaining place offering Italian outside state and Catholic schools, is COASIT in Carlton.
“Part of the reason Italian has remained strong in some areas is due to its adoption by Catholic schools, thanks to the shared cultural and religious ties,” said Zangalis. She added that Catholicism played a role in embedding the language within the education system.
She also points t0 what she says is “another side to this story”.
“In some cases, [Greek] individuals have set up independent language schools and aggressively recruited students from nearby public schools.
“They encouraged families to abandon the state system’s offerings in favour of their private programs,” said Zangalis.
She believes that this dynamic has created tension, with concerns about competition rather than collaboration within language education. Moreover, she has expressed concern with the Department of Education’s focus on teaching only an hour of language which is insufficient in gaining a real understanding of language according to Zangalis.
She also wants to “acknowledging overseas qualifications”.
“We should be acknowledging native speakers and fast tracking them to become teachers,” Zangalis said.
“You shouldn’t have to have a teaching degree to become a become a language teacher, if you’ve got the language you should be allowed to become a teacher, while teaching language.”
The Pharos representative has also called for scholarships for language teachers but “not teachers that are already in the system, as that funding is already there.”
Below is a snapshot of the Pharos submission:
Multicultural Storytime
Multicultural Storytime, is a program administered through the Department of Health, where $6 million was dedicated to delivering 49 weekly school terms ethnic language story times in community spaces and public libraries for 3 years from 2023-24 to 2026-2027.
Pharos recommended incorporating an evaluation of the program, reallocating funding at minimum same levels or increased levels to deliver more programs, shift the program to Multiculturalism Affairs with the aim to run it out of Public Libraries, as well as fund a website that enables searches in language and location across public libraries, in language schools and community organisations.
Bilingual kinders
Bilingual Kindergartens, run by the Department of Education was born out of a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) in 2024 to establish 11 bilingual kindergartens across the state. The EOI received over 70 responses.
Pharos’ recommended another EOI round as well as funding for another round of bilingual programs.
Pathways and language hubs
Pharos wants to support pathways for students to keep community languages strong, and for the government to commit to a target of minimum number of bilingual ie 30 per cent to 50 per cent of the learning in languages.
Pharos’ recommendation is for the Victorian government to commit to a floor of introducing a minimum number of new bilingual programs (30 per cent -50 per cent in the alternative language) in the state school system.
Language policy in state school system
The education department recommends 150 minutes of language learning per week for every student prep to Year 10. Pharos said this was is one of the most progressive language programs in the country. However, an audit by Pharos found that schools that deliver Greek were only delivering one session a week which is barely one hour per week.
Pharos recommended an increase in the minimum number of language learning hours of three hours per week, and commitment to a minimum target for introduction of Bilingual (CLIL – Content Language Integrated Learning) schools.
Scaling at VCE
Pharos stressed a need to boost the scaling for ethnic language learning. The variance of the extra scaling for different languages prioritises one language over another.
They said that students often drop Greek by Year 10 because they don’t feel as competent at Greek, and know that could get a better end VCE score (factoring in scaling) by choosing other languages.
Pharos recommended incorporating a standard increased scaling for completing a language at VCE regardless of which language a student completes. They highlighted a need for three different tiers for Greek language at VCE level, each in a separate category of assessment to each other.
Those who have lived in Greece should complete a different exam to those who have lived in Greece for less than 7 years, as well as a separate tier for those who have started learning Greek from Year 7, thus separating Greek speakers from third generation Greek Australians.
Infrastructure to deliver languages at our schools
Schools find it a challenge to find teachers and primarily language teachers – particularly in rural areas.
Pharos offered a few suggestions to improve this, such as: establishing scholarships for language teachers – particularly for individuals who are not yet teachers, officially recognising overseas teaching qualifications, and fast track teacher training – to study alongside while actively teaching.
Bricks and mortar vs programs
Cost of living has risen lately and so have operating costs for community groups with buildings. Pharos recommended a re-opening of the Energy Efficiency Building Grants.
This will free up operating costs and funnel more funds to services as well as supporting the government to reach its 2030 climate target.
Ethnic media
Pharos want to increase funding for public media services in percentage and material. So, for the number and hours of language delivered. The Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF) have changed its funding structure to limit funding to stations delivering multiple languages.
Pharos’ wants to increase funding for services for example for, Community Broadcasting Foundation, to deliver funding to support specifically language deliver – (number of languages and number of hours) in ethnic media. 3ZZZ community ethnic radio station 92.3fm which broadcasts in over 70 languages a week.
