National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program

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National Asian Languages and Studies in
Schools Program
Ms Suzanne NorthcottBranch Manager, National
Curriculum BranchDepartment of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations
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A commitment to Asian languages and studies of
Asia

• what we have as vision for Australiathe most
  Asia-literate country in the west. A country
  whichregards the languages and cultures of this
  wider region as not foreign but familiar.
• The Prime Minister, the Hon Kevin Rudd MP
• Australia-Indonesia Conference Dinner
• 19 February 2009

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Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for
Young Australians

• The Melbourne Declaration acknowledges that young
  Australians need to
• become Asia literate and engage and build
  strong relationships with Asia
• be able to relate to and communicate across
  cultures, especially the cultures and countries
  of Asia

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• The National Asian Languages and Studies in
  Schools Program (NALSSP) commenced on 1 January
  2009
• 62.4 million in funding over 2008-09 to 2010-11
• Increase opportunities for Australian school
  students to become proficient at learning the
  languages and understanding the cultures of our
  Asian neighbours China, Indonesia, Japan and
  Korea

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Towards 2020

• In 2006
• less than 14 of Year 12 students studied a
  foreign language
• approximately 6 of these studied either
  Mandarin, Indonesian, Japanese or Korean
• By 2020
• all Australian governments have agreed to an
  aspirational target that at least 12 of students
  will exit Year 12 with a fluency in either
  Mandarin, Indonesian, Japanese or Korean

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Key Result Areas

• To achieve success in the NALSSP, three key
  result areas have been identified
• 1. Flexible delivery and pathways
• Designing and delivering language programs which
  are flexible and have the potential to engage
  more students and use language teachers more
  effectively in schools
• 2. Increasing teacher supply and support
• Increase and maintain supply of quality teachers
  of Asian languages and studies of Asia
• Stimulating student demand
• Students are aware of the benefits of studying
  Asian languages and studies of Asia

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Stakeholders

• Stakeholders involved in achieving the objectives
  of the NALSSP include
• government and non-government education
  authorities
• universities and other higher education providers
• educational organisations
• language education professional associations
• the business community, including bilateral
  business councils
• Asian communities and embassies
• Australasian Curriculum, Assessment and
  Certification Authorities
• Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
  Authority

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NALSSP Funding

• The NALSSP funding will be targeted in four ways
• 43.68 million for state and territory government
  and non-government education authorities
• 9.36 million for a Strategic Collaboration and
  Partnership Fund
• 6.24 million for a direct outreach program of
  grants to schools, Becoming Asia Literate Grants
  to Schools run by the Asia Education Foundation
• 3.12 million for Australian Government led
  national projects to support the NALSSP
  objectives at a national level

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Strategic Collaboration and Partnership Fund

• A total of 9.36 million to be delivered through
  three annual competitive funding rounds
• Funding available for projects that support the
  teaching and learning of one or more of the four
  identified Asian languages and Asian cultures in
  schools
• Organisations, including universities and other
  higher education providers, businesses and Asian
  communities may apply for a grant

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Strategic Collaboration and Partnership Fund
Round One

• Round One will be conducted in two stages
• Stage 1 call for expressions of interest
• Stage 2 full applications
• Round One of the Partnership Fund closes on
  Friday, 17 April 2009
• Grants of up to 500,000 (GST exclusive)

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Strategic Collaboration and Partnership Fund
Key Priorities

• Key priority areas for Round One are projects
  that
• involve strategic partnerships and delivery
  coalitions between organisations in the teaching
  and learning of the four Asian languages and
  studies of Asia
• identify strategies to increase language teacher
  supply and support, including recruitment and
  pre-service training of teachers
• stimulate student demand and create incentives
  for students to study one of the four identified
  Asian languages, particularly at the senior
  secondary level
• use technological infrastructure or applications
  in the teaching and learning of the four Asian
  languages and studies of Asia 

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Other Australian Government initiatives
Supporting the delivery of the NALSSP

• Other Australian Government support for Asian
  languages and studies of Asia
• Building the Education Revolution Science and
  Language Centres for 21st Century Secondary
  Schools
• National research projects into languages
  education
• Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowships

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Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowships

• The Endeavour Language Teacher Fellowships
  provide opportunities for practicing and trainee
  (pre-service) languages teachers to improve their
  language and cultural skills through intensive
  in-country study programs
• Since 2003, a total of 932 practicing and trainee
  languages teachers have participated
• In January 2009, nine study programs were held.
  Languages included Mandarin, Indonesian, Japanese
  and Korean
• www.endeavour.deewr.gov.au/language_teachers_fello
  wships

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