News Desk
PERTH: The Punjabi language is all set to be officially introduced into the school curriculum in Western Australia, and public schools will now teach the Punjabi language.
The Australian government is adopting Punjabi in the school curriculum as the newest language after a 2021 census found that it was the fastest-growing language in Australia, with over 239,000 people speaking it at home, an increase of more than 80 percent from 2016, SBS Punjabi reported.
The syllabus for pre-primary to the level of 12 years will be developed this year. The decision to teach Punjabi in schools was taken after the syllabus included Korean, Tamil, and Hindi languages in 2021.
Punjabi language in Australia
Students in public schools are expected to be able to take 11 Year courses in 2024, with the first Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) course examination set in 2025, while public schools will have access to the pre-primary to 10 Year curriculum starting in 2024, reported SBS Punjabi.
Education Minister Sue Ellery told SBS in December that the Punjabi language would be offered as an option to pre-primary through 12-year students in Western Australia. The minister added that with more than 190 languages spoken throughout the state, linguistic diversity is a great strength that provides various social, cultural and economic benefits.
