Adjournment Debate

GREEK LANGUAGE CURRICULUM

Mr PISONI (Unley) (17:01): In speaking to the adjournment debate, I use this opportunity, as the shadow education minister, to fully support the inclusion of the Greek language in the Australian curriculum for schools. While the selection of LOTE languages to be included as part of the national curriculum has yet to be finalised, the state Liberals are keen to see Greek included and promoted at the national level. Further to that, we have always supported, and will continue to support and promote, the benefits of Greek language tuition in the South Australian school system. As the shadow education minister, and in my role as a local MP with a significant Greek community, I have had several meetings with representatives keen to see the continued promotion of the Greek language and have offered my active support.

The South Australian Greek community is a large and important contributor to the multicultural fabric of our state, and there is no doubt that many educational avenues for our children, from many cultural backgrounds, have been made possible by our Greek community and through our ethnic community schools—for example, the Sturt Street Community School, St George College and St Spyridon College. Of course, Greek is also taught in many other schools in South Australia—36 in total—and it would be my hope that school communities were able to continue their second language programs as part of the national curriculum.

Greek is a primary world language and, of course, forms the basis of many other languages. It may surprise many members in the house that 30 per cent of the English language, for example, is derived from Greek. Historically, Greek is fundamental to the western linguistic tradition, with many significant texts, including those from Christian scripture, being written in this language. As a key European language, it is one of five official languages of the European Union.

In Australia, it is the fourth most spoken language, serving as a means of communication for 600,000 people, not only for social and educational purposes but also for business and economic activity of financial benefit to the nation. In this regard, Greek is much more than simply an ethnic language. It is a language of national importance.

South Australia has played an important role in being the first state to implement Greek in public education and in its state secondary school curriculum through language schools as early as the 1970s. Currently, over 2,500 students in state primary and secondary schools, over 660 in non-government schools and 1,300 students in ethnic schools have participated in Greek studies. The establishment of the Ethnic Schools Board has provided the mechanism for quality assurance in the teaching of the Greek language, and successive governments have ensured adequate resourcing for Greek education.

At a tertiary level, the Modern Greek Department at Flinders University has produced 2,000 graduates over 21 years. In fact, South Australia has the highest number of students studying Greek per capita in the nation—in both the government and non-government education sectors.

The Greek language is an essential and valued characteristic of our state and nation's multicultural identity, contributing to our society's fabric, cohesion, intellectual experience and financial prosperity. Inclusion of the Greek language in the national curriculum—which I support—by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority will also be consistent with valuing the significant contributions and achievements of our Greek community and its historic language as an integral and ongoing part of our education system here in South Australia.