Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

to move:

That this House:

(1)

acknowledges that:

(a)

International Mother Language Day was celebrated on 21 February 2011 with the aim of promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism;

(b)

International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in 1999 and has been observed every year since February 2000; and

(c)

the date of the event represents the day in 1952 when students demonstrating for recognition of their language, Bangla, in what was then Pakistan, were shot and killed by police in Dhaka, now the capital of Bangladesh;

(2)

notes that:

(a)

more than 400 languages are spoken in Australia including 45 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island languages;

(b)

more than 5 million Australians speak a second language and more than 3 million Australians speak a second language at home;

(c)

the top 5 languages other than English spoken in Australia are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic and Mandarin; and

(d)

over 50 000 people speak an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island language;

(3)

recognises that:

(a)

in a globalised economy, language skills are a key workforce advantage;

(b)

language skills will play an increasingly important role in securing Australia’s future success on the world stage; and

(c)

linguistic and cultural diversity enrich the social fabric of the Australian community;

(4)

supports:

(a)

initiatives which encourage Australians to undertake language education, whatever their age;

(b)

the continuation of high quality language education in the Australian education system at every level;

(c)

language teachers in their role as educators and thanks them for their contribution to enhancing Australia’s foreign language capacity; and

(d)

the development of a specific foreign languages component in the new National School Curriculum.

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