WA’s school curriculum authority is working on a syllabus for the Punjabi language. 

The state’s School Curriculum and Standards Authority has been told to develop syllabi and support materials for the language, allowing WA students from pre-primary to Year 12 to have a Punjabi language lesson curriculum available to them from 2024.

The state’s education and training minister Sue Ellery announced Punjabi will be added to the stable of curriculum languages this week, where it will join syllabi for Hindi, Korean and Tamil that will be available to students at the start of the 2023 new year.

“With more than 190 languages spoken throughout Western Australia, linguistic diversity is a great strength of our state and provides a range of social, cultural and economic benefits,” Ms Ellery said in a statement.

“It is also important that we develop courses that suit the needs of our young people.”

Languages classes are compulsory for WA primary students from Year 3. 

The WA Government says Year 11 Punjabi courses should be ready for students in 2024, with the first ATAR course examination to be set in 2025.

The minister said it is an exciting change. 

“The development of Punjabi curriculum is particularly fitting given it could support students in key future employment opportunities,” Ms Ellery said.

“Earlier this year, the WA Government led the state’s largest-ever business delegation to India amid a broader strengthening of our engagement with the country,” she added.