Melbourne’s Greek and Cypriot communities have launched a coordinated campaign to protect and revitalise Greek-language education across Australia. Melbourne’s Greek diaspora leads new campaign to preserve language and heritage, inspired by the recent establishment of UNESCO-backed World Greek Language Day and growing concern over cuts and closures in university Greek-studies programmes.
On Tuesday, 25 November 2025, a major gathering at the Lyceum Theatre of Alphington Grammar brought together community leaders, teachers and cultural advocates. Representatives of the Greek and Cypriot Communities of Melbourne, principals and staff from schools including Oakleigh Grammar, and members of the advocacy group Pharos were all present.
The assembly took place under the auspices of the international steering committee that spearheaded the campaign to secure UNESCO recognition for the Greek language. That success — culminating in UNESCO’s formal adoption of 9 February as World Greek Language Day — has given diaspora communities worldwide a powerful platform to promote their heritage.
The mobilisation comes amid rising pressure on Greek-language education in Australia. Previous proposals to discontinue Modern Greek courses at La Trobe University — later reversed after community and diplomatic intervention — have left the programme’s long-term future uncertain. Meanwhile, the removal of Greek, Latin and Classical Studies from Victoria’s senior secondary examinations has heightened fears that future students will lose formal pathways for learning Greek. Organisers warn this would not only endanger language teaching but also erode the broader cultural identity of Hellenic communities nationwide.
At the meeting, delegates outlined a multi-layered action plan. Proposals include mobilising Greek day and afternoon schools, community organisations, churches and Greek-language media to promote awareness; lobbying universities and education authorities to maintain both Modern and Classical Greek courses; and turning 9 February’s World Greek Language Day into a central annual celebration featuring cultural performances, lectures and student participation.
“Greek is not a relic — it’s a living bond that connects us across continents,” said one organiser. “If we don’t act now, our children may lose the chance to speak the language of our ancestors.”
For a nation that hosts one of the largest Greek diaspora populations outside Greece, preserving Greek-language education is about more than cultural nostalgia. It is tied to inclusion, identity and the vitality of multicultural Australia. With UNESCO’s global recognition and renewed community energy, Greek-speaking Australians now hope to influence education policy, secure heritage-language programmes, and ensure the next generation retains a strong connection to its roots.
Whether this revitalised movement can reverse decades of decline remains to be seen. But in Melbourne — and wherever Greek communities gather — the message is clear: speak Greek, teach Greek, live Greek — and give the heritage a future.
