The announcement arrived with a kind of quiet relief across Melbourne’s Greek community. After months of uncertainty and persistent advocacy, Kat Theophanous — the State Member for Northcote — confirmed that Greek would remain at Northcote High School for at least the next two years. For many who have watched the slow contraction of Modern Greek in Australia’s public institutions — from school programs to university departments — the news felt like a rare moment in which a language long under pressure had finally been given room to breathe.
It came against a backdrop of real concern. Across Australia, community-language programs have struggled: declining enrolments, tight school budgets and dwindling tertiary pathways have placed immense pressure on languages with deep migrant histories. Modern Greek has been especially vulnerable. A recent TGA News report documented the erosion of Greek Studies nationally and the increasing need for coordinated community action to keep programs viable.
Within this climate, Northcote High School’s decision carries particular weight. After a period of uncertainty, the school will offer Year 7 Greek in 2026 and Year 8 in 2027, securing the pathway for at least two more years. The outcome followed several weeks of discussions involving the Victorian Government, school leadership, the Pharos Alliance and community representatives — a shared effort to ensure the language could continue without adding financial strain to the school.
For Northcote — a suburb where the imprint of Greek migration runs through church halls, family networks and weekend language schools — the continuation of Greek in the high-school curriculum represents far more than a timetable adjustment. It sustains an educational pathway that has anchored families to their linguistic heritage for generations and ensures that younger Greek-Australian students can still access the identity and history that have shaped the neighbourhood.
A central figure in securing the program was Kat Theophanous. Throughout the negotiations, she remained in active contact with senior officials in the Department of Education, working to establish a two-year model that would provide stability and allow time for enrolments to rebuild. Her involvement reflects a broader record: she has long championed bilingual learning in the electorate, supported Greek literacy initiatives in early childhood settings, and played a key role in securing funding for La Trobe University’s Modern Greek program, now the last remaining tertiary-level Greek offering in Victoria.
Speaking about the decision, Theophanous framed its cultural significance clearly: “Language is identity, belonging and the bridge between generations. It’s important that our schools continue to reflect the community languages present in our suburbs — because they preserve so much more than vocabulary.”
She underscored the practical value of keeping Modern Greek accessible: “Teaching Modern Greek in school ensures that children can access the language, stories and cultural threads that connect them to their parents, grandparents and the Greek-Australian community that has helped shape our state. It also ensures there are high-level language skills to support key sectors like aged care, social services and education in our multicultural community.”
For her, the Northcote outcome was the result of coordinated action: “I’m incredibly proud that through strong community advocacy and constructive engagement with government and the school, we have secured Greek at Northcote High for 2026 and 2027. My sincere thanks go to the Pharos Alliance for their tireless advocacy, Principal Chris Jones for his cooperation, and the government for acting quickly to protect this pathway.”
The Pharos Alliance played a pivotal role. Represented in the discussions by Dr Stephie Nikoloudis, Denise Diakodimitriou and Theo Markos, the organisation has become a key defender of Greek-language education in Victoria, working across multiple language groups to strengthen bilingual policy and intervening when programs face institutional risk. Its earlier work to retain Modern Greek at La Trobe University demonstrated its influence; the Northcote decision extends that advocacy into the secondary system.
Pharos president Professor Joe Lo Bianco AM highlighted the cooperative nature of the process: “The Pharos Alliance extends its deep gratitude to Kat Theophanous MP and to Principal Christopher Jones for working constructively with us to ensure the continuation of Greek at Northcote High School.”
He described the result as an example of aligned civic purpose: “This is a powerful example of government, educators and community coming together to support Victoria’s multicultural and multilingual character.” And he issued a clear call to families whose choices ultimately determine long-term viability: “We now call on families across the inner north to embrace this opportunity by encouraging their children to study Greek and help secure the program’s long-term future.”
From the school’s perspective, the decision reinforces the cultural depth of its curriculum. Principal Christopher Jones welcomed the outcome: “I welcome this support, which enables us to continue offering Greek to Year 7 students in 2026 and Year 8 students in 2027. We value the diversity of our language program and the cultural richness it brings to our school.”
The Department of Education will now work with Northcote High to strengthen communication with families, emphasising how student subject choices directly influence the survival of community languages — a structural factor often overlooked until a program is at risk. The program’s continuation beyond 2027 will be contingent on demonstrating increased student demand, making this outreach effort critical to the future of Greek at the school.
Securing Greek at Northcote does not resolve the broader pressures facing the language in Australia, nor does it guarantee the program beyond 2027. But it marks a meaningful moment. In a landscape where pathways have narrowed and programs have disappeared, this decision affirms that community languages can survive when institutions, government and local advocates act together.
For now, Greek at Northcote High endures — held in place by cooperation, persistence, and a shared understanding of what it means to keep a language alive for the next generation.
