To build on the success of a union anti-intervention speaking tour of Steve Patrick and Peter Inverway earlier this year, Melbourne Anti Intervention Collective is planning a bilingual education day conference on a Saturday in November.

In holding the conference we aim to raise awareness about the ban on Aboriginal languages for the first four hours of school days, and associated measures like welfare quarantining that punish students, families and Aboriginal culture for problems created by chronic under-resourcing. On a more local level, we would address questions of the place- or lack of space- for Aboriginal culture and history in the National Curriculum.

We would also put this attack on Aboriginal educational rights in the context of the NT Intervention, and of the resistance to the intervention.

We see this as an important way to build up the general resistance to Anti Aboriginal racism and resistance to the assimilation push. We want to consolidate primarily education union members, but also more generally teachers, academics, students and other interested parties as Aboriginal rights activists.

We need your help to make this conference as relevant as possible, and to help it reach as wide an audience as possible. We are holding a planning meeting this Thursday evening at the New International Bookshop at Trades Hall.

We would love your ideas about speakers, your knowledge about the issues, your networks and ideas about how we can end these policies.

A tentative agenda for the conference is:

• Session One: Bilingual Education – What’s happening and why?
• Session Two: The National Curriculum and Indigenous Perspectives
• Session Three: Where to from here

Look forward to seeing you there,

Lucy Honan
0404728104

Since the Public Meeting on this issue in August, the following action has been taken:

1. A Press Release was prepared and circulated with some media reports.

2. The matter was raised with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. A delegation made up of Professor Michael Clyne, Pandora Petrovska, Frank Merlino and Stefan Romaniw, met with the Acting CEO of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, Mr David Howes on September 15, 2009.

The outcome of that meeting was as follows:

(a)    We wanted clarification as to what would happen to CCAFL in light of current national developments.  There has been a national curriculum for some languages in the form of CCAFL, predating the current move towards National Curriculum.  We made the point that it would be a terrible situation to dismantle a system that was working well. We were told that there were no moves to change any of the current set-up for language examination.  The languages that will be part of the National Curriculum have not yet been decided.

(b)    Mr Howes was open to the suggestion that there be a moratorium on the de-accreditation of VCE smaller candidature languages until the status of the National Curriculum for languages has been clarified.  He said that he would raise this with the VCAA Board and contact us regarding the outcome.

(c)     He said the issue of the de-accreditation of smaller candidature languages was not a costing issue as such, rather that a minimum number was required in an administrative sense.

(d)    We discussed the global scaling issue which often adversely affects the scores of smaller candidature languages, an issue which was raised at the Public Meeting. Mr Howes said that this affected other subject areas as well, and when it was implemented, was thought to be the fairest method of ranking students for university entry.  Until such a time, that universities establish other methods for tertiary entry, such as university partnership with schools, student portfolios and aptitude testing, the scaling would remain.

(e)    It was quite a positive meeting overall and we await a response regarding (b) from Mr Howes.

1. In Term 4 a Working Party needs to be established with representation from the key stakeholders who can take this matter further. The Working Party could consist of representatives from

• Tertiary
• Victorian School of Languages
• Community Languages Australia
• Modern Language Teachers Association of Victoria
• Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria
• Victorian Council of School Organisations
• Multilingual Australia
• Victorian Association of Secondary School Principals
• Australian Education Union

Monday 24 August, 7.30pm
Multicultural Hub
506 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne
(Opposite Queen Victoria Market, Melway Map 1E J2)

Speakers include:

• Professor Michael Clyne, Universities of Melbourne and Monash
• Dr Bruno Mascitelli, Swinburne University
• Mr Stefan Romaniw, CEO, Community Languages Australia
• Mr Frank Merlino, Principal, Victorian School of Languages

RSVP Christine 03 9474 0531

The German Australian Pfadfinder Scout Group will take children aged 6 and up, and will be accessible to north and south side families as their Scout Hall is in Turner.  Pfadfinder is the German word for Scout and it literally means “path finder”.

“We’re very excited to be starting up this bilingual Scout group this year.  2008 is the Year of the Scout, and it is also the International Year of Languages, so it is very appropriate,” said ACT Scouts’ Chief Commissioner, Mr Neville Tomkins.

Group Leader Lisa Stephan said, “The new Scout Group builds on existing children’s German language groups, including a playgroup for 0-5 year olds and the German Australian Playschool for 3-5 year olds.  With the new Scout group, Canberra can now cater for people from birth to adulthood looking for fun and educational activities in German.”

“My aim is to have the kids begging to go to Joeys, Cubs and Scouts every week, as they will be having so much fun!” said Leader, Jens Stephan.

The group’s scarf colours will be red and yellow.  Many scouts in Germany have yellow scarves; and red is the common colour which appears on the flags of Australia and the German speaking nations, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The Group is non-religious and is open to children from all spiritual traditions.  Its aim is to develop children’s self-confidence, practical skills and values which will help them make an ongoing positive contribution to their community.

There is a pre-Scouting group for 5 year olds, who attend Scout nights with their parents and enjoy the exciting program too.

Families wishing to add their child’s name to the lists for 2009, 2010 or 2011 should contact Lisa Stephan on 6251 7743 or spielwelt@homemail.com.au

We have created a comprehensive language teaching system that is exciting and enjoyable for both children and parents. Our curriculum includes activities in all lessons such as singing, music, story-telling, games and art to capture the imagination of every child.

We have a co-ordinated system of story books, flash cards, activity books, CDs and online access. You can actually make it as much fun at home for the kids as it is during the lessons! Your whole family will be exploring another language in no time.

We have 3 centres across Brisbane which teach French, Spanish and Italian to children aged between 18 months – 12 years.

www.alphatykes.com.au

Languages Matter!

Languages matter in developing classroom pedagogy.

In understanding teacher professional standards.

In quality interactions in the language specific classroom.

In building bridges to the world.

In developing intercultural and other literacies for Australia’s future.

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