Study Abroad: Punjabi language to be a part of Australian curriculum 

Students pursuing a study abroad programme in Australia have the privilege of bringing their families along with them. Many enrol their children in the local schools. It is a relief for the parents that their children will learn their mother tongue despite studying in foreign schools. 

 In Western Australia, Punjabi will now be taught in public schools. The language is prepared to be incorporated into the academic programme. According to SBS Punjabi, the 2021 census revealed that Punjabi was the fastest-growing language in Australia, with more than 239,000 individuals using it at home, a gain of more than 80% from 2016. 

As a result, the Australian government is embracing Punjabi as the newest language. This year, the pre-primary through year 12 curricula will be developed. After Tamil, Hindi, and Korean were added to the curriculum in 2021, it was decided to teach Punjabi in schools.

The first Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) course assessment is scheduled for 2025, and students are anticipated to be able to enrol in Year 11 courses in 2024. According to SBS Punjabi, schools will also have access to the pre-primary through Year 10 curriculum beginning in 2024.

According to a press statement from Ms Ellery, “I am glad to see the continued growth of the language curriculum for WA students, and the establishment of Punjabi curriculum is particularly fitting considering that it could benefit students in significant future employment opportunities.”

You can read the Press Release here: https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2022/12/Punjabi-the-newest-language-for-Western-Australian-schools.aspx

Although the language is a recent addition, earlier Australian Sikh history was taught in years 5, 6, and 9 of the Humanities and Social Sciences curriculum in Western Australian schools.

For more information, make sure you follow Leverage Edu.