Following outcry, La Trobe will continue to teach Hindi

After a community outcry, La Trobe University has backed away from a plan to end the teaching of Hindi, India’s major language.

Following a community outcry, La Trobe University will continue to teach Hindi.

La Trobe University has abandoned its plan to stop teaching Hindi following a major community campaign to save the language program, which was threatened by cost cuts.

The university said last November that three language courses with low enrolments — Hindi, Indonesian and modern Greek — could be shut down to help with the loss of international student income.

La Trobe is one of only two universities in Australia which teaches Hindi — the most widely spoken language in India — and the plan to close the program sparked a backlash, particularly as La Trobe enrols many Indian students and has often showcased its cultural links with India.

Nearly 2500 people signed a change.org petition which said the proposal “could deliver a serious blow to India studies in Australia, and also greatly damage the reputation of the university among the Indian community, a vast majority of whom speak Hindi”.

In a statement, La Trobe said it had decided to retain the program “after considerable discussion with staff and students, community groups, government and other stakeholders”.

“Notwithstanding the significant financial challenges faced by the university, there are compelling reasons to continue teaching our Hindi program, including the increasing importance of Hindi language proficiency for diplomatic and commercial activities that are crucial to our nation’s future,” it said.

However the university said it was crucial for the Hindi program to attract higher enrolments.

“Low enrolments in Hindi language subjects must still be addressed in order for the program to become sustainable and thrive in the future,” the university said.

“It is hoped that the considerable passion and enthusiasm for Hindi language teaching that was evident in the feedback received during the consultation period will help to generate an immediate increase in enrolments in the program.”

Ian Woolford, who is the sole Hindi lecturer at La Trobe, welcomed the decision. He said the university was looking at how to attract more students to the language beyond the current main course, a diploma of languages.

“We’re looking at how Hindi fits into the needs of students in other courses,” he said.

For example, because Hindi is a widely spoken and fast growing community language in Australia there is a need for health and community workers to have fluency in Hindi.

Last month, after strong pressure from the Greek community in Melbourne, La Trobe said it would continue teaching modern Greek, aided by a $40,000 grant from the Victorian government to offer 10 scholarships in 2021.

The university still has to make a decision about whether its Indonesian language program will continue.

The Australian National University is the only other university in Australia which teaches Hindi.