Multicultural education
Direction and guidance on meeting the educational needs of all students and learners in NSW public preschools and schools, including those from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds, and preparing them for effective participation in Australian life.
Audience
All school staff, education support staff, students, learners, parents and carers.
| Version | Date | Description of changes | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
| V02.1.0 | 17/10/2025 | Updated terminology to reflect current practice. Updated contact and ownership details. | A/Executive Director Teaching and Learning Support |
| V02.0.0 | 09/05/2024 | Updated under the 2023 Policy and procedure review program, including conversion into the new template, and improving readability. New policy document added, Multicultural education procedures, with consolidated instructions previously provided in English as an additional language or dialect: Advice for schools and Interpreting and translation services: Guidelines for schools. | Executive Director Educational Standards |
Document history
2023 Nov 02 routine update and repairing broken links for implementation document Interpreting and translation services: Guidelines for schools.
2022 Aug 09 - updated links in policy statement.
2022 Feb 25 - updated links and role titles in policy statement and implementation document: Interpreting and translation services: Guidelines for schools.
2021 April 17 - updated implementation document: Interpreting and translation services: Guidelines for schools.
2020 Jun - updated contact details and minor changes to style guide.
Updated implementation document EAL/D Advice for Schools.
Policy reflects departmental changes and changes in state policy and related legislation. Support documents listed in the Policy Implementation section reflects changes in requirements over time including responsibilities under the Multicultural NSW Act (2000) and mandatory reporting requirements relating to the Multicultural Policies and Services Program.
From 2016 schools are no longer required to complete a New Arrivals Program survey as the information is now collected via the EAL/D Annual Survey.
Superseded documents
English as a Second Language: Guidelines for schools
Multicultural Education Policy Statement, 1983 (ISBN-0-7240-8417-7)
- Policy statement
- NSW Department of Education:
- provides equitable educational opportunities and experiences that meet the needs of their culturally diverse communities
- supports the learning and wellbeing of students and learners from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds
- prepares all students and learners with the knowledge, skills and global perspectives needed to live and work effectively in Australian society.
- NSW public schools are required to provide:
- culturally inclusive, non-discriminatory schooling environments that support the learning and wellbeing of all students and learners, and foster intercultural understanding and respect
- specific teaching and learning support that enables students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) to develop the English language and literacy skills required to access and interact with the curriculum to achieve equitable learning outcomes
- intensive English language and transition support for newly arrived EAL/D learners with limited English language proficiency
- targeted support to address the specific learning and wellbeing needs of students from refugee backgrounds
- diverse, responsive and appropriate curriculum and co-curricular opportunities that meet the needs of students and learners from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds
- curriculum and co-curricular opportunities that build cultural and linguistic skills, and foster intercultural understanding and mutual respect among all students and learners
- culturally responsive and inclusive school environments for parents and carers from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds to equitably engage in their children’s learning, school community activities and consultative mechanisms
- information in community languages to facilitate communication with parents and carers who do not speak or understand English well.
- The department's targeted funding and resources allocated to schools to meet the needs of students and learners from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds must be used for their intended purpose:
- English Language Proficiency equity loading must be used to support the English language development of EAL/D learners
- targeted (individual student) funding for newly arrived students must be used to provide intensive English and transition support for eligible newly arrived EAL/D learners
- targeted (individual student) funding for students from refugee backgrounds must be used to support the additional learning needs of students from refugee backgrounds
- relief funding for Anti-Racism Contact Officers must be used to facilitate the work or enable the training of the school’s Anti-Racism Contact Officer/s
- other targeted multicultural education resources must be used in accordance with policy or program requirements.
- Planning for school programs, facilities and infrastructure, and improvement measures should:
- be inclusive of the needs of the whole school community, including students, learners, parents, carers and staff
- reflect the appropriate use of targeted funding and resources to support students and learners from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds
- provide equitably for students, learners and families from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds.
- NSW Department of Education:
- Context
- The Multicultural NSW Act 2000 requires every public authority to implement the multicultural principles of the state and observe the principles in conducting its affairs.
- The Multicultural Plan is the department's strategic plan to ensure the whole school community’s requirements are met. All government agencies must prepare a multicultural plan and report publicly on its progress through their annual reports.
- Multicultural Policies and Services Program reports on multicultural activity across the department.
- The Multicultural education procedures support this policy.
- Policy contact
Director, Multicultural Education
02 7814 2531
multicultural.programs@det.nsw.edu.au - Monitoring the policy
The Executive Director, Teaching and Learning Support monitors the implementation of this policy, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.