Multicultural education
Direction and guidance on meeting the educational needs of all students in NSW public schools, including students from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds, and preparing them for effective participation in Australian life.
Audience
All school staff, education support staff, students, parents and carers.
| Version | Date | Description of changes | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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Superseded documents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 public schools must provide equitable educational opportunities and experiences that meet the needs of their culturally diverse communities; support the learning and wellbeing of students from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds; and prepare all students with the knowledge, skills and global perspectives needed to live and work effectively in Australian society.
- Schools are required to provide:
- culturally inclusive, non-discriminatory schooling environments that support the learning and wellbeing of all students, foster intercultural understanding and respect, and facilitate engagement with all families
- 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 students 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 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
- opportunities 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.
- Targeted resources allocated to schools to meet the needs of students from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds – or for building cultural inclusion and community harmony – must be used for their intended purpose:
- English Language Proficiency equity loading must be used to support the English language development of EAL/D students
- targeted (individual student) funding for newly arrived students must be used to provide intensive English and transition support for eligible newly arrived EAL/D students
- 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 centrally funded 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
- reflect the appropriate use of targeted resources to support students from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds
- provide equitably for students and families from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds.
- 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.
- All agencies must prepare a multicultural plan and report publicly on its progress through their annual reports.
- The Multicultural education procedures support this policy.
- Policy contact
Leader, Multicultural Education
02 7814 2826
multicultural.programs@det.nsw.edu.au - Monitoring the policy
The Executive Director, Educational Standards monitors the implementation of this policy, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.