By Benjamin Millar
UPDATED: The west’s only bilingual school program may be back next year despite being scrapped by the school.
Footscray Primary School last week wrote to parents announcing the school has not employed enough qualified teachers to staff the Vietnamese bilingual program for 2019.
The letter, from principal Philip Fox, stated that a “number of different options” were being considered in place of the long-running practice of classes being taught in Vietnamese for up to five hours a week.
The immersive language program first faced the axe in 2016 until being saved by a parent-led campaign and intervention by the state education minister.
Star Weekly understands the co-ordinator of the program has taken up a position at another school after learning it would not be continued.
But following outcry from parents and Vietnamese community leaders, the Department of Education and Training has vowed to work with Footscray Primary School to recruit bilingual teachers for 2019.
“While the school is currently experiencing some difficulty staffing their Vietnamese bilingual program, the Footscray community can be assured that the Department will reinstate the program as soon as an appropriate teacher is found,” a spokeswoman said.
“Language and culture are an important part of keeping schools at the heart of communities, and Footscray Primary School is a great example of this.”
Hoang Tran Nguyen, a father of two at the school, said parents had been disappointed by the scrapping.
He said the program was the reason he had decided to enrol his children at the school.
“I was born in Vietnam and came to Australia as part of the Vietnamese refugee diaspora,” he said.
“The program has roots in the migrant diaspora in the area, and with the recent changes to the area I think it’s even more important to have something like this.”
Mr Nguyen said language skills gained via the program could not be replicated via truncated two-hour LOTE programs.
He said independent research has shown the broader educational benefits of bilingual learning.
School council president Justin Mansfield said the council was taken by surprise by the decision.
“I am extremely disappointed at the school admin’s inability to successfully foster the bilingual program,” he said.
“The lack of imagination and grudging support from admin that surrounded the program made it inevitable that a day like this would arrive.”
Mr Mansfield said the decision was especially concerning given the promise of a review of the program slated for next year.
“This decision pre-judges that process as there is no point in reviewing a program that has already been cut.”
Vietnamese Community in Australia: Victorian Chapter president Viv Nguyen has written to the school, Footscray MP Katie Hall and education minister James Merlino seeking intervention to ensure the program can run until a review is undertaken.
“It’s always difficult once something stops to be able to restart it,” she said.
Star Weekly sought comment from the school and the office of Mr Merlino.
