NSW Department of Education and Training

In 2008, TAFE NSW – Sydney Institute also introduced a translation skills course in
response to industry and community demand.
Strategies
Schools
The Department implemented a range of programs to support community language
education for students who wished to learn and maintain their first language or gain
access to a second language, including:
Community Language Program K-6
Saturday School of Community Languages.
The Saturday School of Community Languages (SSCL) continued to investigate current
and potential trends to plan community language provision, including appropriate
language provision for new and emerging communities.
The SSCL continued to offer a range of Board Endorsed Courses (BEC) leading to
School Certificate level (Years 7-10) for languages studied in which there is no Board of
Studies syllabus.
Courses in languages other than English are provided through the Open High School to
students who cannot attend school or where a school is unable to provide study in the
language of choice.
TAFE NSW
Institutes provide community language, interpreting and translating programs, as required.
Future Directions
Investigate ways to meet the increasing demand from primary schools for instruction in
community languages, including new languages.
2.7 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Achievements
Schools
Student Welfare Directorate implemented initiatives to assist teachers and departmental
officers to better meet the needs of students from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds including:
provision of culturally inclusive drug education materials
activities to assist home school liaison officers to understand the attendance needs of
students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, including newly
arrived refugee students
activities to enhance the skills of school counsellors in supporting students from
culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Networks with government and non-government agencies were maintained. The NSW
Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors
(STARTTS) provided specialist torture and trauma counselling services for students in
schools. Collaboration with NSW Refugee Health was extended to include services and
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