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Summary report on Public meeting: Re-introduction of bilingual education in the Barossa region

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Summary report on Public meeting:

Re-introduction of bilingual education in the Barossa region

Barossa German Language Association Inc.

held on Monday 16th August, 2021 in Tanunda

This is a brief report on the public meeting and the resolutions made at the meeting. It is part of a language plan for the bilingual teaching of German in the curriculum of schools in the Barossa and region. The interest and support of local people in bilingual German/English education was demonstrated in the well-attended, public meeting. The meeting was designed to inform the Barossa community of the significance of the bilingual heritage in the Barossa and the educational, cultural and economic value of bilingual education for children in the Barossa today.  

People who attended the meeting included parents and grandparents wanting bilingual German programs for their children, representative of the Federal Republic of German, German-speaking community members, business people and politicians who asserted the cultural and economic significance of German for the Barossa. Speakers included politicians who emphasised the importance of German language and culture in the Barossa, and school representatives and educators, who wanted more information about planning and introducing bilingual programs. The participants expressed community interest and support for the plan to re-introduce bilingual German/English programs in the Barossa region. 

The aims of the public meeting included:

  1. To inform the Barossa community about bilingual education and the impact of the loss of German with governmental closure of German/English bilingual schools in the Barossa region in 1917;
  2. To describe features of bilingual programs; 
  3. To report evidence of the value of bilingual education for advancing students’ cognitive development, literacy and numeracy capabilities, problem-solving & communication skills;  
  4. To establish the public plan for the re-introduction of German-English programs in schools. 

Resolutions from the public meeting:

This public meeting

  1. Supports the re-introduction of bilingual teaching in schools in the Barossa region; 
  2. Requests support from the Department of Education in South Australia, of Lutheran Education, and of schools and their communities for the development of systematic German English bilingual programs in schools in the Barossa region; 
  3. Requests the support of the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany, of Switzerland and of Austria for the establishment of bilingual German English programs in the Barossa region. 
  4. Invites the participation of local organisations and businesses in the re-introduction of bilingual German English schooling.  

The Barossa community is planning with the Education Department, schools, local organisations and institutions and parents the re-introduction of bilingual German/English programs to provide quality language and literacy education. 

For further information contact and to take part in the Bilingual Barossa plan contact

Steffi or Anne, newsletter@barossagerman.com.au

Peter Mickan, Peter.mickan@adelaide.edu.au

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