NSW Department of Education and Training

EAPS ACTIVITY AREA 2: PROGRAM AND SERVICE
DELIVERY
OUTCOME
The Department’s programs and services meet the needs of a culturally and
linguistically diverse community and are informed by community consultation
2.1 CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION
Achievements
The Director-General’s Advisory Group on Multicultural Education and Training is the
Department’s formal advisory and consultative structure for multicultural education and
training. It comprises representatives from a wide range of government agencies and
educational and community organisations, including the Community Relations
Commission for a multicultural NSW, the Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW, the
Federation of Parents and Citizens’ Associations of NSW (P&C), Department of
Immigration and Citizenship, Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages (ATESOL), NSW Teachers Federation and principals’ organisations. In 2008,
AGMET focused on issues associated with support for refugee young students in
schools, completion rates of TAFE students from language backgrounds other than
English, Doing Business in the 21 st Century, Best Start Kindergarten Assessment,
support for overseas trained teachers and the use of teachers of English as a second
language and community languages.
The Director-General’s Advisory Group on Gender Equity in Education and the Director-
General’s Advisory Group on the Priority Schools Programs and the Education of
Students in Schools Serving Low Socio-Economic Status Communities have
representation from the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW.
The Department’s Higher Education Directorate continued to monitor appropriate
representation of ethnic communities on university governing bodies.
The Department continued to implement the Department's Equal Employment
Opportunity Management Plan 2005-2008 which contains strategies to improve equity
and diversity, including cultural and linguistic diversity, in its workforce and to create fair
and inclusive work practices and behaviour.
Schools
Regional Equity Committees continued in all ten regions. Membership includes
representatives of key stakeholder groups including a representative of the Ethnic
Communities Council of NSW or local Migrant Resource Centre in each region. The role
of the Equity Committees includes providing advice on the development of regional equity
plans and monitoring their implementation. It also includes supporting schools to meet
their requirements under the Cultural Diversity and Community Relations Policy:
Multicultural education in schools and the Anti-Racism Policy.
In 2008, 47 Schools as Community Centres (SaCC) projects facilitated a range of
initiatives supporting children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds.
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