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Sara Makes Bangla History
Asha Hossain | Hornsby Girls High School, NSW Australia | 1 October 2013
On the 30th of September 2013 at the Clancy Auditorium of University of NSW there was a Minister’s Award Ceremony run by the NSW Government’s Department of Education and Training.
At this ceremony there were many awards given for students who excelled at their language and cultural studies at a Community Language School. Sara Hossain received a Minister’s award. Only 10 students from all over NSW get this prestigious award.
There are 60 community or heritage languages taught and nearly 8,500 students learning Mandarin or Cantonese, making it the largest language group. Each year the NSW Department of Education asks for every language school to select one junior representative, and one senior representative to receive an award at the awards ceremony of community language schools. The DET then chooses students who are worthy enough to receive an award. This award is a Merit Award, Commended, Highly Commended or a Minister’s Award. The Minister’s award is the most prestigious award anyone can get at this ceremony.
Sara Hossain a year 6 student was selected to receive an award at this ceremony from her Community Language School, Bangla Academy Australia, where she learns Bangla.
15 members of the Board of Community Languages Schools work very hard each year to find students who have done excellent in their language school as per reading, writing, talking and extra-curricular activities. The Board found Sara who is brilliant with reading, writing and talking in Bangla, and participates in extra-curricular activities. Therefore she received a Minister’s Award. Apart from Sara, there are three other students from Bangla Academy Australia who received Commended and Highly Commended awards.
This is the first year that a student learning Bangla has gotten a Minister’s award. This is a tremendous achievement for the Bangla Language community in NSW and also for Bangla Academy Australia. To know more about Bangla Academy Australia, go to www.banglaacademy.com. We hope that Sara goes on to achieve much more in life.