Case Study: Establishing a Sustainable Language Program

Establishing a sustainable language program is an essential consideration for schools. Too many schools have lost their language teacher and been unable to replace them, or they simply couldn’t find a language teacher to start with due to teacher shortages. For small, regional schools that rarely have the resources to hire a specialist teacher, Meg ensures equitable access to languages. Meg is a sustainable option that guarantees students, parents and educators effective and engaging language lessons year after year. The program allows students to experience continuity in their language learning and assists the school in establishing a sustainable language program.

Yea Primary School is a single stream Preparatory to Year 6 school of 118 students and 20 staff. It is situated in a small rural town 100km north-east of Melbourne. After struggling to find and maintain a language teacher for several years, they were the very first school to join us in 2013. Since then, the teachers at Yea Primary have experienced first-hand what the learning outcomes of our program can be without a break in language and culture delivery, even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

“Where Meg has been really beneficial for us, is that it’s always continual. We don’t have to find teachers or put a whole lot of money into resources for one language and employ someone who may leave the area. It just flows on, and that is really valuable for me.”

– Debbie George, Principal at Yea Primary School