The Community Language Schools (CLS) Program provides annual grants to eligible not-for-profit CLS which provide language and cultural programs for Queensland Prep to Year 12 students.
Language and cultural programs refers to using:
To be eligible to receive an annual grant, new and existing CLS must meet
all of the following requirements:
A list of ineligible organisations is provided in
who is not eligible to apply for a grant?.
Operational requirements
A CLS must:
- have been operational for at least 6 months
- have a minimum of 6 students
- provide a website link or generic email address for the CLS website—
Find a CLS page
- key information in promotional material and/or on a CLS website about your language programs is available in English
- provide at least 3 months’ notice in writing to the Department of Education advising your CLS will no longer offer a language and cultural program.
Administrative requirements
A CLS must:
For further information regarding the blue card obligations for organisations, please refer to
blue card services.
For further information regarding Child Safe Standards, compliance and Reportable Conduct Scheme, please refer to the Queensland Family and Child Commission—
Child Safe Standards.
Suitable premises requirements
A CLS must:
- provide language and cultural programs delivered from premises located in Queensland and delivered face-to-face
- provide classes at premises that are not used as a residence.
Language learning program requirements
A CLS must:
- provide a language learning program to students irrespective of cultural background; and offered equally to male and female students
- provide a language and cultural learning program for students in Prep to Year 10 that aligns with one of the following
- use the
QCAA Year 11–12 Languages senior subjects to develop a language learning program for students in Year 11 to Year 12
- ensure that the CLS program is appropriate to the age of the student and the curriculum
- ensure that the language programs, weekly plans, assessment tasks and student results sheets are kept up to date and that there is a hard copy of these filed in a secure location
- provide weekly languages and cultural classes for at least 36 weeks of the year
- provide language and cultural classes for a minimum of 2 hours per week.
Student requirements
Eligible students are:
- enrolled and attend a Queensland mainstream school from Prep to Year 12 or receive Home Education
- attend a minimum of 75% of scheduled weekly language program classes across the year
- have Australian citizenship or permanent residency.
Ineligible students:
- pre-school or adult students
- full-fee paying international students who attend a government or non-government school
- enrolled at another CLS learning the same language
- receive tuition or coaching for other subjects e.g. music, even if the course is conducted in the community language
- enrolled online
- students who no longer attend the CLS and/or have enrolled in a school outside Queensland.
Reporting requirements
Maintain accurate records including:
- how the grant was used
- student attendance records
- blue cards register
- funding from other sources.
Behaviour requirements
The Department of Education may suspend an existing Service Agreement if a CLS, its officer, board member, employee, member, volunteer, subcontractor, representative or agent:
- commits an act that is regarded by the public as unacceptable or brings the reputation of the Department and/or Queensland Government into disrepute
- behaves in a way that the Department of Education believes its continued association with the CLS may be detrimental to the reputation of the department
- is not a fit and proper person, having regard to the special nature of working with children in a school setting
- has a conviction or findings of guilt for a sexual offence
- is convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment
- induces or attempts to induce any student to convert to a particular religion
- is critical of or denigrates another religion, religious tradition, religious belief or religious practice
- denigrates, offends or instils hatred for other minority group(s), language(s) and cultures(s).
Who is not eligible to apply for a grant?
The following are not eligible to apply for a CLS grant:
- individual or commercial entities
- Queensland schools
- Parents and Citizens’ (P&C) association
- Queensland Government departments, agencies and statutory authorities
- Australian Government departments, agencies and statutory authorities
- organisations based outside of Queensland who do not provide language classes in Queensland.