The Allan Labor Government is deepening Victoria’s educational link to India by backing our female school leaders with international professional learning, and expanding the study of Indian languages in Victorian schools.

Minister for Education Ben Carroll today announced 12 Victorian principals will join the Indian education system for 10 days in October and November to develop their leadership and intercultural skills – all part of the 2023 Women in School Leadership (WISL) professional learning program.

In India, the principals will learn and work alongside their local colleagues in a series of workshops focused on leadership, cultural intelligence and education policy. They will also take part in school placements to observe best-practice approaches to learning, engagement and wellbeing.

The Victorian principals will also attend the DIDAC Conference – Asia’s largest exhibition for teaching and skills – in Bengaluru, where they will have the opportunity to participate in the global discussion on topics such as women in leadership and the use of Educational Technology to support student wellbeing.

By participating, principals gain new approaches to student learning and wellbeing, and deepen their understanding of education in other cultures, which is then applied in Victorian schools to support students in our multicultural state to thrive.

WISL, which began in 2019, is part of Victoria’s India Strategy: Our Shared Future and aims to enhance links between Victorian and Indian schools. A visit for 12 school principals from India will take place in Victoria in May 2024.

As part of a further $3.5 million initiative to deepen ties with India, three schools in Melbourne’s west, north and south-eastern suburbs will offer Hindi and/or Punjabi language programs from 2025 – creating important links for thousands of Victorians with their heritage.

The language programs will be open to all students enrolled in the participating schools, which will also increase the number of students state-wide who study Hindi and Punjabi at VCE.

Once created, the three initial Hindi and Punjabi school language programs will help teaching and leadership staff to support other schools across the state to implement their own Indian language program.