Hindi a new hit

By Bridget Cook
A CRANBOURNE primary school is set to become the first in Victoria to teach its students Hindi.
Rangebank Primary School will incorporate a Hindi program into is curriculum for all students from Prep to Grade 6.
School principal Colin Avery said there was a buzz among teachers preparing for the Hindi program.
“Everyone is really excited about this new challenge, which we think will really benefit our students,” he said.
Education Minister Martin Dixon visited the school last week, the day before students were to begin their school year, to congratulate the school community for embarking on the exciting challenge of teaching an Indian language.
“India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and holds a wealth of opportunities for Victoria and Victorians, which is why it’s vital we continue to build relationships with Asia and particularly India,” he said.
“Many Victorian government schools are strengthening students’ understanding of Asian history and culture, including teaching a range of languages such as Japanese, Mandarin and Indonesian, but until now Hindi has not been one of them.
“I am delighted to be here with the teachers today to witness the final preparations for the new Hindi program and I look forward to hearing how the classes are progressing throughout the year.”
Mr Dixon said Rangebank was a great example of a school offering students diverse learning opportunities.
“Learning another language opens up a world of opportunities and the earlier students start the better,” he said.
The State Government has made a long-term commitment to improve the quality of languages education so that all Victorian government school students from Prep to Year 10 are learning a language by 2025, commencing with Prep in 2015.