Punjabi language is all set to consolidate its footprints beyond the boundary of India. The Australian government has given its nod that Punjabi will be the newest language to be taught in public schools in Western Australia, reported The Indian Express.
The decision was taken considering the viewpoint that Punjabi is the fastest growing language in Australia as around 239,000 people are speaking it at home. As per the report, a 2021 census showed that there has become an increase of over 80 percent in Punjabi language speakers from 2016. The concerned department will develop the syllabus for pre-primary to year 12 this year.
According to SBS Punjabi, the decision of teaching the Punjabi language in public schools was taken after the announcement of the development of syllabuses for Hindi, Korean and Tamil in 2021. The syllabuses for Hindi, Korfean, and Tamil will be introduced in schools next year.
Students may be able to take courses of Year 11 in 2024, as the first Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) course examination has been set in 2025. SBS Punjabi reported that schools will have access to the pre-primary to Year 10 curriculum in 2024.
The Punjabi language will be given as an option to pre-primary through year twelve students across Western Australia, Education Minister Sue Ellery told SBS earlier. She said that linguistic diversity boosts national cohesion, providing a range of social, cultural, and economic benefits, and added that over 190 languages are spoken throughout the state.
“I am pleased to see the expansion of language curriculum for students in Western Australia, and the development of syllabus for Punjabi language could support students in key future employment opportunities,” Ellery said in a press release, reported IE.
Notably, Australian Sikh history was incorporated into the Humanities and Social Sciences subjects in public schools across Western Australia for years 5, 6, and 9.