Flinders University Italian Language Course

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:19): Supplementary, again to the minister representing the Minister for Health: a couple of weeks ago we were able to save the Italian language course at Flinders University, so I am wondering whether there might be some message in there we can use to save something that has been recognised by the World Health Organization.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (15:20): I thank the member for the question. I am pleased to note and welcome the decision that Flinders University has made to reverse its decision to cease enrolments for the first year of Italian and, obviously consequently, the ongoing teaching. They have certainly said that there is going to be an ongoing review, but they are taking enrolments for first-year Italian next year.

I am so excited about this decision because it gives the community, the Italian consul, the opportunity, supported by the government, to pursue significant increases and interest of students to take on Italian going forward and, if there are opportunities to seek further support from the Italian government or from students or the community in South Australia, to support the sustainability of that program, which had suffered from diminishing numbers. We now have the time and space to do that.

We also have an incredible enthusiasm unleashed by Com.It.Es. I congratulate the outgoing president, Christian Verdicchio, in particular, who led that body of work. I have been grateful to the Italian teachers, who have spoken with me personally. I am particularly grateful—and I think members would know—to the Italian Consul to South Australia, Dottore Adriano Stendardo, for the leadership role that he has taken already, and has committed to take going forward, in supporting the Italian community in providing that uplift in students and fundraising to support Flinders University.

The Italian government, I believe for 50 years, has been providing a level of support to that program, and that will be ongoing. I hope that it will increase, as some other governments from around the world support languages studies in our universities that they see as particularly beneficial. South Australia's Italian community has over 100,000 people either born in Italy, or their children or their grandchildren, of whom my own are a couple. The power and passion of that community in seeking to save Italian at Flinders University has been commendable.

I spoke to the Vice Chancellor of Flinders University several times. I met with him last week. We put to him very strongly the case that, with the increase in support for languages in our schools in South Australia, we could anticipate, quite feasibly, an increase in school students graduating from our schools taking on university language studies and to cut that Italian language program at such a time would be a disincentive. I am pleased they have listened to the representations from the government, the consul and the community. I am pleased they have made the decision they have made. I encourage them to make it as an ongoing one.