Tamil Meets Every criterion for Priority Language Status. Don’t Leave Our Children Behind.
The issue
Make Tamil a Priority Asian Language in Australia, Give Our Children Equal Opportunities!
To: The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister; The Hon. Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education; The Hon. Dr Anne Aly MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs
In June 2026, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education recommended a 10-year National Asia Capability Strategy, and it named Mandarin, Indonesian, Hindi and Japanese as four priority Asian languages. Tamil was placed in a lower tier as a “Supported Language.” That difference matters. Priority Languages would receive direct Commonwealth investment, Asian Language Hubs, protection of university courses, targeted teacher supply, and a nationally consistent five-point ATAR bonus for Year 12 students. Supported Languages would not receive the same level of support.
A child who studies Tamil from preschool to Year 12 would receive no ATAR bonus, while a classmate studying a Priority Language would. We believe this is unfair. Tamil is one of the world’s oldest living languages and is spoken by a large and growing Australian community.
We call on the Australian Government to:
- Designate Tamil as a Priority Asian Language in the National Asia Capability Strategy.
- Publish the criteria for Priority status and assess Tamil against them transparently.
- Ensure Tamil students can access the proposed ATAR bonus and university pathways.
- Add Tamil to the Australian Curriculum and fund Tamil teachers, resources and community schools.
- Consult Tamil educational organisations, including the NSW Federation of Tamil Schools and its affiliated schools in NSW, ACT, QLD, VIC, WA, SA and NT in implementing the Strategy.
- Ready to use Resources: The NSW Federation of Tamil Schools has developed Pre-Kindy to Year 10 learning resources and is working on Year 11 and 12 resources. Its affiliated schools in NSW, the ACT, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA and the NT teach around 5,000 students. Students in NSW, the ACT and Victoria study Tamil under the Collaborative Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages (CCAFL), and Western Australia has already developed a Pre-primary to Year 10 Tamil curriculum and Year 11–12 ATAR courses. We ask education ministers to direct ACARA to develop a national Tamil curriculum, drawing on WA’s work and the work done by the NSW Federation of Tamil Schools.
We are not asking for anything to be taken from other languages. We are asking for Tamil to be judged by the same standards, and given the same opportunity.
Tamil has survived more than 2,000 years because every generation chose to carry it forward. Our children are making that choice today. They deserve a system that recognises their effort, not one that leaves them behind. We ask that Tamil be assessed fairly and given the same opportunities to receive Priority status.
The report allows for change. The Committee recommended that the criteria for Priority status be published and reviewed, with a pathway for Supported Languages to become Priority Languages. We are asking the Government not to wait years for a review. Assess Tamil now, before the Strategy is finalised.
Why Tamil matters for Australia
Tamil is a language of Asia’s strategic relationships. Tamil is a national official language of both Sri Lanka and Singapore, and an official language of Tamil Nadu, a state of nearly 78 million people in India, one of Australia’s top five trading partners. A few languages link Australia to South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean at once
Tamil opens doors to some of Australia’s most valuable economic relationships. Tamil-speaking regions and communities sit at the heart of economies that trade well over A$100 billion a year with Australia:
- Tamil Nadu is India’s second-largest state economy, worth about ₹35 lakh crore (around US$400 billion) in 2025-26, with real growth above 10% in each of the past two years. The state’s Economic Survey projects it could become a US$1 trillion economy by 2031 if strong nominal growth continues. It exported US$59 billion of goods in 2025-26, including around 42% of India’s electronics exports and a third of its car exports.
- India is Australia’s fifth-largest trading partner, with two-way trade in goods and services of A$54.4 billion in 2024-25, supported by the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement.
- Singapore is Australia’s largest trade and investment partner in Southeast Asia, with two-way trade of A$47.4 billion in 2024 and two-way investment of A$225 billion in 2022.
- Malaysia’s two-way trade with Australia was A$33 billion in 2023-24, and its Tamil community is one of the largest outside India and Sri Lanka.
- Sri Lanka is an Indian Ocean neighbour with around A$1.6 billion in two-way trade with Australia in 2023, driven by Australian education services and agricultural exports.
- Australians who speak Tamil can build the business, education, tourism and diplomatic links that turn these relationships into jobs and growth at home. A language spoken across the factories of Chennai, the boardrooms of Singapore and the ports of the Indian Ocean is a national economic asset, not just a community heritage.
- The demand already exists. The Committee found that demand for South Asian languages, including Tamil, is growing, driven by one of Australia’s fastest-growing communities. 95,404 Australians spoke Tamil at home in the 2021 Census, up about 30% in five years. The Committee itself said this demand could become “one of the more sustainable sources of Asia capability in the country.” Unlike languages that must be rebuilt from falling enrolments, Tamil has students ready and waiting.
Our Goal: 15,000 Signatures before 30th Nov 2026 and 50,000 signatures over all. Please sign and share this petition with your family, friends and community.
Why Your Signature Matters
Tamil carries thousands of years of history, culture and identity.
Whether you speak Tamil or believe in preserving languages and cultures, your support matters.
Every signature is a voice for our children, our language and its future in Australia.
தமிழ் வாழ்க! தமிழ் வளர்க!
✍️ நமது இலக்கு: 2026 நவம்பர் 30-ஆம் தேதிக்குள் 15,000 கையொப்பங்கள்; மொத்தமாக 50,000 கையொப்பங்கள்
தமிழ் ஆயிரக்கணக்கான ஆண்டுகால வரலாற்றையும், பண்பாட்டையும், அடையாளத்தையும் தாங்கி நிற்கிறது.
நீங்கள் தமிழ் பேசுபவராக இருந்தாலும் சரி, மொழிகளையும் பண்பாடுகளையும் பாதுகாப்பதில் நம்பிக்கை கொண்டவராக இருந்தாலும் சரி, உங்கள் ஆதரவு மிக முக்கியமானது.
ஒவ்வொரு கையெழுத்தும் எங்கள் குழந்தைகளுக்காகவும், எங்கள் மொழிக்காகவும், ஆஸ்திரேலியாவில் அதன் எதிர்காலத்திற்காகவும் ஒலிக்கும் குரலாகும்.
இன்றே கையொப்பமிடுங்கள்! அனைவருக்கும் பகிருங்கள்!
Regards,
NSW Federation of Tamil Schools Inc (NSWFTS)
Balar Malar Tamil Educational Association Inc (NSW), Wentworthville Tamil Study Centre (NSW), Tamil Study Centre, Homebush (NSW), Eastwood Tamil Study Centre (NSW), Mount Druitt Tamil Study Centre (NSW), Auburn Tamil Aalayam (NSW), Aram Tamil School (NSW), Newcastle Tamil Sangam (NSW), Western Sydney Tamil Study Centre (NSW), Chennai Tamil School (ACT), Canberra Tamil School (ACT), Valluvan Tamil School (WA), Avvaiyar Tamil School (WA), Perth North Tamil School (WA), MuKamai Tamil School (WA), Brisbane Tamil School (QLD), Thaai Tamil School (QLD) and The Tamil Society of the Northern Territory Inc (NT).
Reference: Australian Parliament, Security and Prosperity in Asia – Building Australia's Asia Capability, June 2026, particularly Recommendations 2, 8 and 27–30.
1,126
The issue
Make Tamil a Priority Asian Language in Australia, Give Our Children Equal Opportunities!
To: The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister; The Hon. Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education; The Hon. Dr Anne Aly MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs
In June 2026, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education recommended a 10-year National Asia Capability Strategy, and it named Mandarin, Indonesian, Hindi and Japanese as four priority Asian languages. Tamil was placed in a lower tier as a “Supported Language.” That difference matters. Priority Languages would receive direct Commonwealth investment, Asian Language Hubs, protection of university courses, targeted teacher supply, and a nationally consistent five-point ATAR bonus for Year 12 students. Supported Languages would not receive the same level of support.
A child who studies Tamil from preschool to Year 12 would receive no ATAR bonus, while a classmate studying a Priority Language would. We believe this is unfair. Tamil is one of the world’s oldest living languages and is spoken by a large and growing Australian community.
We call on the Australian Government to:
- Designate Tamil as a Priority Asian Language in the National Asia Capability Strategy.
- Publish the criteria for Priority status and assess Tamil against them transparently.
- Ensure Tamil students can access the proposed ATAR bonus and university pathways.
- Add Tamil to the Australian Curriculum and fund Tamil teachers, resources and community schools.
- Consult Tamil educational organisations, including the NSW Federation of Tamil Schools and its affiliated schools in NSW, ACT, QLD, VIC, WA, SA and NT in implementing the Strategy.
- Ready to use Resources: The NSW Federation of Tamil Schools has developed Pre-Kindy to Year 10 learning resources and is working on Year 11 and 12 resources. Its affiliated schools in NSW, the ACT, Queensland, Victoria, WA, SA and the NT teach around 5,000 students. Students in NSW, the ACT and Victoria study Tamil under the Collaborative Curriculum and Assessment Framework for Languages (CCAFL), and Western Australia has already developed a Pre-primary to Year 10 Tamil curriculum and Year 11–12 ATAR courses. We ask education ministers to direct ACARA to develop a national Tamil curriculum, drawing on WA’s work and the work done by the NSW Federation of Tamil Schools.
We are not asking for anything to be taken from other languages. We are asking for Tamil to be judged by the same standards, and given the same opportunity.
Tamil has survived more than 2,000 years because every generation chose to carry it forward. Our children are making that choice today. They deserve a system that recognises their effort, not one that leaves them behind. We ask that Tamil be assessed fairly and given the same opportunities to receive Priority status.
The report allows for change. The Committee recommended that the criteria for Priority status be published and reviewed, with a pathway for Supported Languages to become Priority Languages. We are asking the Government not to wait years for a review. Assess Tamil now, before the Strategy is finalised.
Why Tamil matters for Australia
Tamil is a language of Asia’s strategic relationships. Tamil is a national official language of both Sri Lanka and Singapore, and an official language of Tamil Nadu, a state of nearly 78 million people in India, one of Australia’s top five trading partners. A few languages link Australia to South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean at once
Tamil opens doors to some of Australia’s most valuable economic relationships. Tamil-speaking regions and communities sit at the heart of economies that trade well over A$100 billion a year with Australia:
- Tamil Nadu is India’s second-largest state economy, worth about ₹35 lakh crore (around US$400 billion) in 2025-26, with real growth above 10% in each of the past two years. The state’s Economic Survey projects it could become a US$1 trillion economy by 2031 if strong nominal growth continues. It exported US$59 billion of goods in 2025-26, including around 42% of India’s electronics exports and a third of its car exports.
- India is Australia’s fifth-largest trading partner, with two-way trade in goods and services of A$54.4 billion in 2024-25, supported by the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement.
- Singapore is Australia’s largest trade and investment partner in Southeast Asia, with two-way trade of A$47.4 billion in 2024 and two-way investment of A$225 billion in 2022.
- Malaysia’s two-way trade with Australia was A$33 billion in 2023-24, and its Tamil community is one of the largest outside India and Sri Lanka.
- Sri Lanka is an Indian Ocean neighbour with around A$1.6 billion in two-way trade with Australia in 2023, driven by Australian education services and agricultural exports.
- Australians who speak Tamil can build the business, education, tourism and diplomatic links that turn these relationships into jobs and growth at home. A language spoken across the factories of Chennai, the boardrooms of Singapore and the ports of the Indian Ocean is a national economic asset, not just a community heritage.
- The demand already exists. The Committee found that demand for South Asian languages, including Tamil, is growing, driven by one of Australia’s fastest-growing communities. 95,404 Australians spoke Tamil at home in the 2021 Census, up about 30% in five years. The Committee itself said this demand could become “one of the more sustainable sources of Asia capability in the country.” Unlike languages that must be rebuilt from falling enrolments, Tamil has students ready and waiting.
Our Goal: 15,000 Signatures before 30th Nov 2026 and 50,000 signatures over all. Please sign and share this petition with your family, friends and community.
Why Your Signature Matters
Tamil carries thousands of years of history, culture and identity.
Whether you speak Tamil or believe in preserving languages and cultures, your support matters.
Every signature is a voice for our children, our language and its future in Australia.
தமிழ் வாழ்க! தமிழ் வளர்க!
✍️ நமது இலக்கு: 2026 நவம்பர் 30-ஆம் தேதிக்குள் 15,000 கையொப்பங்கள்; மொத்தமாக 50,000 கையொப்பங்கள்
தமிழ் ஆயிரக்கணக்கான ஆண்டுகால வரலாற்றையும், பண்பாட்டையும், அடையாளத்தையும் தாங்கி நிற்கிறது.
நீங்கள் தமிழ் பேசுபவராக இருந்தாலும் சரி, மொழிகளையும் பண்பாடுகளையும் பாதுகாப்பதில் நம்பிக்கை கொண்டவராக இருந்தாலும் சரி, உங்கள் ஆதரவு மிக முக்கியமானது.
ஒவ்வொரு கையெழுத்தும் எங்கள் குழந்தைகளுக்காகவும், எங்கள் மொழிக்காகவும், ஆஸ்திரேலியாவில் அதன் எதிர்காலத்திற்காகவும் ஒலிக்கும் குரலாகும்.
இன்றே கையொப்பமிடுங்கள்! அனைவருக்கும் பகிருங்கள்!
Regards,
NSW Federation of Tamil Schools Inc (NSWFTS)
Balar Malar Tamil Educational Association Inc (NSW), Wentworthville Tamil Study Centre (NSW), Tamil Study Centre, Homebush (NSW), Eastwood Tamil Study Centre (NSW), Mount Druitt Tamil Study Centre (NSW), Auburn Tamil Aalayam (NSW), Aram Tamil School (NSW), Newcastle Tamil Sangam (NSW), Western Sydney Tamil Study Centre (NSW), Chennai Tamil School (ACT), Canberra Tamil School (ACT), Valluvan Tamil School (WA), Avvaiyar Tamil School (WA), Perth North Tamil School (WA), MuKamai Tamil School (WA), Brisbane Tamil School (QLD), Thaai Tamil School (QLD) and The Tamil Society of the Northern Territory Inc (NT).
Reference: Australian Parliament, Security and Prosperity in Asia – Building Australia's Asia Capability, June 2026, particularly Recommendations 2, 8 and 27–30.
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Petition created on 29 October 2026