“That ICPA Qld lobbies the Department of Education (DoE) to make Languages Other Than English (LOTE) optional rather than compulsory for students in years 5 & 6 in Rural and Remote Schools and Distance Education.”
Currently the study of LOTE is mandatory under the Australian Curriculum for years 5 & 6 in Primary school.
In an overcrowded curriculum, and with falling literacy rates among our students, the mandatory teaching of LOTE is seeing students spend up to 90 minutes a week on learning a second language. While we don’t want to see opportunities take away from our students, making LOTE optional would free up time for those students who need extra practice to master their literacy skills, and give teachers the time to help them.
At this time, during a teacher shortage crisis, finding LOTE teachers in a rural setting is increasingly difficult. Many students are having to complete these lessons either via distance education (even when attending a face-to-face school) or via the use of apps, as schools struggle to fill the LOTE teaching roles. These alternative teaching methods can lead to a decline in engagement from the students and teachers, in what is already a challenging subject for those who are not enthusiastic.
