Aboriginal languages will become a new HSC subject from 2016.
NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli made the announcement at Menindee Central School in the state’s west, according to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald.
“This new course will help maintain this critical part of Aboriginal cultures,” Mr Piccoli said.
Teachers at Menindee Central School already provide lessons in Paakantji. The new course will enable students to continue their studies into years 11 and 12.
The Herald says that of 35 Aboriginal languages across the state, about 19 are being taught from kindergarten to year 10. The move toward making the language available to students at the HSC has taken ten years, and the language studies still won’t count toward the final score, or ATAR.
