Community Languages Australia to reignite National Languages Policy debate

COMMUNITY LANGUAGES AUSTRALIA
Where language and culture come together
185 Faraday Street Carlton. Victoria 3053
Telephone (03) 9347 0379 Fax: (03) 9347 0297\
Email: afesa@netsol.net.au
ABN 77 674 760 578

MEDIA RELEASE

February 27, 2012

For Immediate release

Community Languages Australia Council votes to reignite National Languages Policy discussions

Community Languages Australia (CLA) will commence discussions with key stakeholders to reignite the debate for the introduction of a National Languages Policy. Australia last had a National Languages Policy endorsed by the Commonwealth Government in 1987.

The National Languages Policy at the time served the nation well from the perspective of politics, social cohesion, social psychology and sociolinguistics.

Community Languages Australia / AFESA Council held its quarterly meeting Melbourne on Saturday February 25, 2012 and discussed ways of moving the agenda forward.

CLA Executive Director Stefan Romaniw presented an action paper outlining the benefits a National Languages Policy in the past and the need for such a policy at this time.

Whilst work being undertaken with the introduction of a National Curriculum, a solid foundation and national coordinated policy support for languages education and multicultural education would entrench these important areas in the education menu in Australia. It would provide national consistency in policy terms.

CLA acknowledges that on jurisdictional levels there are statements and policies outlining vision, direction and commitment. Nationally over the past years there has been a National Statement on Languages Education.

The ‘void’ in terms of a National Policy tends to work in favour of those who want to divide different language interests, whereas a national and coordinated approach would be comprehensive and supportive, of all language communities.

The void in policy has represented a problem for the Australian curriculum There is a need for guiding principles and policy, that would encapsulate on a national level the efforts of the Commonwealth, jurisdictions, communities and NGO’s working in the languages education and multicultural education areas.

“An initial discussion about the overall benefits of a National Languages Policy needs to be reignited,’ CLA Executive Director Stefan Romaniw said after meeting.

“The NLP of 1987 could serve a sound starting point on which we could build and reshape accordingly to meet the needs and challenges of 2012 and beyond.” Mr Romaniw said.

Community Languages Australia resolved to compile a list of key stakeholders and work towards facilitating a meeting to develop a strategy for moving the issue forward and will call on key stakeholders for support on this issue.

The Council meeting also accepted reports from State and Territory Associations and also endorsed Reports presented recently to Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) .

The reports provided a comprehensive overview of the great amount of activity in the community languages school sector nationally with each State and Territory. Association providing evidence of work in the teaching and learning of languages, teacher training, professional development and social cohesion and cooperation with jurisdictions.

AFESA Chair Tassos Douvartzides commended AFESA members for their commitment and ongoing service in providing programs for the maintenance of languages and culture in Australia.

” Community languages schools provide a great service and they are very much part of each government’s plan for delivering languages education in Australia” Mr Douvartzides said

The meeting also discussed ;

the importance of working with mainstream and ethnic media in promoting the sector,
forming strong relationships and partnerships with host mainstream schools,
the introduction of the Certificate IV Training Course funded by the Victorian DECCD
the development of a Rental Agreement Framework.

The 10th National Community Languages Conference will be held in Adelaide on Saturday July 14, 2012.

For further information contact Stefan Romaniw 0419 513255