Education consultant Howard Kelly has begun work designing a new survey to establish whether or not Modern Greek will return to the curriculum at Wales Street Primary School.
Mr Kelly met with Wales Street Primary School principal, Chris Sexton, on Thursday, after the Victorian Department of Education intervened to reissue a survey, establishing whether the community wanted Modern Greek to be taught at the school.
On Friday night, Mr Kelly met with parent representative Angelo Dritsasand Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV) board member Theo Markos.
There was some word that this was just an attempt to string us on until after the state election, but they’re really moving on it.
“He wants it to be a win-win situation,” he said.
“We’ll be reiterating that our children should have the option of more languages.”
Mr Dritsas said he was happy with Mr Kelly, as he is a former principal of nearby Thornbury Darebin College, and is known to the community through that school’s Greek program.
“He’s aware of the area and the community, he knows the Greek community well,” Mr Dritsas said.
Mr Kelly was also the Chair/Executive member of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority between 1989 and 1993, and has worked on some of Victoria’s key recent educational reforms, including the controversial NAPLAN testing at years three and five.
Wales Street Primary School offered Modern Greek as part of their LOTE program until the end of 2009, when school council decided to offer only Italian.
Subsequent surveys run by the school council have shown the school community is happy with only Italian, but Mr Dritsas says the new survey will give parents a voice.
“We’re assured it will be a consultative process, and that it will be fair and transparent,” he said.
He also said he was happy to see the Education Department moving quickly so that, should the survey establish enough support, Modern Greek could be re-established as early as next year.
“Things are moving a lot quicker than we thought they would,” he said.
“There was some word that this was just an attempt to string us on until after the state election, but they’re really moving on it,” he said.
Wales Street Primary School is in the seat of Northcote, where the local ALP member, Fiona Richardson, is under threat by the rise of the Green vote in the inner city.
Mr Dritsas said Ms Richardson, as well as ALP Upper House member Jenny Mikakos, had been “extremely supportive”, helping secure additional funding for Greek to run alongside Italian in the school’s LOTE program.
“We really need to thank Jenny and Fiona,” he said.
He said that he had spoken to Greens candidate Anne Martinelli, who had assured him that education was a priority and the Greens were committed to ensuring funding met the community’s needs.