Australian schools to add Punjabi language to the school curriculam

The Punjabi language is prepared to expand its reach outside of India. According to The Indian Express, the Australian government has approved the introduction of Punjabi as the newest language to be taught in public schools in Western Australia.The choice was made with the idea that, with about 239,000 people speaking it at home, Punjabi is the language in Australia that is expanding the quickest. According to the research, a census conducted in 2021 revealed an increase in Punjabi language speakers from 2016 of over 80%. This year, the relevant department will create the pre-primary through year 12 curriculam.

SBS Punjabi reports that the decision to include Punjabi language instruction in public schools came after the announcement of the creation of curricula for Tamil, Hindi, and Korean in 2021.This year, schools will begin using the Hindi, Korean, and Tamil curricula. Australian Sikh history used to be taught in the Humanities and Social Sciences courses for years 5, 6, and 9 in WA schools. According to the Cultural Diversity Census, Mandarin (2.7%), Arabic (1.4%), Vietnamese (1.3%), Cantonese (1.2%), and Punjabi (1.2%) were the top five languages spoken at home in addition to English (0.9 per cent).

After Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, Western Australia, which has the biggest land area of any Australian state or territory and accounts for 10% of the continent’s total population, has a sizeable Punjabi population. Indians tend to cluster around Perth, the state’s capital, drawn to the region by its outstanding climate, booming economy, and laid-back culture. “Linguistic variety improves national cohesiveness, bringing social, cultural, and economic benefits,” Education Minister Sue Ellery told SBS. More than 190 different languages are spoken in the state, she continued.