Australian public schools to teach Punjabi soon
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Canberra: Public schools in Western Australia will be soon teaching Punjabi as part of the school curriculum. After the 2021 census showed Punjabi to be the fastest-growing language in the country, the government decided to adopt it as the newest language.
Over 239,000 Australian residents speak Punjabi in their homes. This is an over 80% increase from 2016. Australian Sikh history was already included in the Humanities and Social Sciences subjects in WA schools for years 5, 6, and 9. Public schools of the island nation already teach Tamil, Hindi, and Korean languages since 2021.
According to a report in SBS Punjabi, students are expected to learn Punjabi in year 11 in 2024 and the first Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) course examination is set in 2025. Schools will have access to the pre-primary to Year 10 curriculum starting in 2024.
Education Minister Sue Ellery in December said that the Punjabi language will be offered as an option to pre-primary through year twelve students in Western Australia. She also said that linguistic diversity is a great strength that provides a range of social, cultural, and economic benefits. The state has over 190 languages.
"I am pleased to see the ongoing expansion of language curriculum for WA students, and the development of Punjabi curriculum is particularly fitting given it could support students in key future employment opportunities," she added.