Australian Schools to Teach Indigenous Language Starting 2024
Expressions of interest from elementary schools are now open.
The Albanese government has recently announced that it is providing $14 million (USD $9.2 million) in funding for primary schools to teach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in classrooms starting from 2024.
Expressions of interest are now open for the First Nations Languages Education Program, which was created in partnership with the peak body First Languages Australia (FLA).
The goal of this initiative is to strengthen Indigenous languages with 60 educators in primary schools across the country, as highlighted by Indigenous Australians Assistant Minister Malarndirri McCarthy.
“All students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, will benefit from this program that will ensure First Nations languages thrive into the future,” she said in a statement.
The program is designed to achieve Target 16 of Closing the Gap, which aims for a sustained increase in the number and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages spoken by 2031.
Education Assistant Minister Anthony Chisholm emphasized that protecting the oldest language is vital for boosting Indigenous Australian school attendance, highlighting a significant drop in attendance rates for Indigenous Australian students.
The program is also supported by Education Minister Jason Clare, who believes that it will help more young Australians develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the first languages and cultures of the nation.
Closing date for expressions of interest is set for Feb. 28, 2024.
This initiative follows the Albanese government’s commitment to preserve and promote Indigenous Australian languages with Australia’s latest Action Plan for the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
The plan underlines the urgent situation of First Nations languages in Australia and recognizes the need for a united effort to protect them for the future.
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke, who launched the plan, highlighted the significance of every language in preserving the unique words, ideas, concepts, and emotions it contains.
It was also mentioned that the United Nations General Assembly has designated 2022 to 2032 the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
Alarming Language Loss
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages face one of the world’s highest rates of language loss. Around 150 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are spoken in Australia, while only 14 are considered strong.
To reverse this trend, it is important that students are taught First Nations history alongside the language, ensuring that traditional owners and young voices have a say in how students learn Indigenous languages.
“It has to center around self-determination,” said Hayley McGuire, CEO of National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition (NIYEC) and a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman.
