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Government school first in state to teach students Hindi

Wednesday, 01 February 2012

In a Victorian first, a government school in Cranbourne will become the first to teach students Hindi.

Government school first in state to teach students Hindi


On the day before students begin their school year Education Minister Martin Dixon visited Rangebank Primary School to congratulate the school community for embarking on the exciting challenge of teaching an Indian language to all its students from Prep to Year 6.

"India is one of the world's fastest growing economies and holds a wealth of opportunities for Victoria and Victorians, which is why it's vital we continue to build relationships with Asia, and particularly India," Mr Dixon said.

"Many Victorian government schools are strengthening students' understanding of Asian history and culture, including teaching a range of languages such as Japanese, Mandarin and Indonesian, but until now Hindi has not been one of them.

"I am delighted to be here with the teachers today to witness the final preparations for the new Hindi program and I look forward to hearing how the classes are progressing throughout the year."

Rangebank Primary School Principal Colin Avery said there was a buzz among teachers preparing for the Hindi program.

"Everyone is really excited about this new challenge, which we think will really benefit our students," Mr Avery said.

Mr Dixon said Rangebank Primary was another great example of a school offering students diverse learning opportunities.

"Schools like Rangebank Primary are ensuring students are accessing the very best educational opportunities, including in languages education," Mr Dixon said.

"Learning another language opens up a world of opportunities and the earlier students start the better."

The Victorian Coalition Government has made a long-term commitment to improve the quality of languages education so that all Victorian government school students from Prep to Year 10 are learning a language by 2025, commencing with Prep in 2015.

The Coalition Government's language initiative is part of its long-term plan to expand Victoria's economy and ensure the state is best placed to tap into global markets.

Last year around 300 primary and secondary students studied Hindi through the Victorian School of Languages.

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