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SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR EDUCATION SHOWS LEADERSHIP  IN SUPPORT OF LANGUAGES AND ETHNIC SCHOOLS  PROGRAM

A strong commitment and uncompromising stand on the importance  of languages in education and support for the ethnic schools/community languages schools  program best describes South Australian Minister for Education The Hon Jane Lomax – Smith MP.

In a meeting on Monday April 6, 2009 in Adelaide with Community Languages Australia (CLA) Executive Director Stefan Romaniw, Chairman of the Ethnic Schools Board of SA, John Kiosogoulos, ESA SA President Raniah Daou , AFESA Treasurer and ESA SA Administrative Officer Inta Rumpe and ESA Board Executive Officer  Jeannette Barrachina, the Minister articulated her full support for the ethnic schools program and reinforced the importance languages education plays.

Community Languages Australia has embarked on a program of meeting with State and Territory Ministers of Education to discuss the new Commonwealth – State funding arrangements under the COAG Agreement signed in December 2008 and the implications of this funding on languages education in mainstream schools and the ethnic schools/community languages schools program.

Community Languages Australia is raising awareness about its role and the important role ethnic schools/ community languages schools play in delivering linguistic and cultural maintenance in Australia.  CLA maintains that funding for and positioning of language education in our mainstream schools is paramount. The support and funding for the ethnic schools / community languages schools program as complementary providers is also very important.

CLA is also seeking assurances that funding these activities will continue.