Opening the School Gate | Planning meetings & events

In some cases it will be obvious that an interpreter is required to communicate with a family member. In other cases, this may be more difficult to assess. The ability to communicate in English does not always mean the person can understand complex conversations.

The best thing to do is ask the family member if they would like an interpreter. Bilingual staff members should not be used as interpreters unless they are conveying basic information.

"There is always a need to encourage parents to become more involved in school activities, but language is a barrier for many newly arrived migrant parents.

I started an English conversation class that focused on relevant topics such as helping children at school and life in Australia. The classes were held on a weekly basis and were relaxed and informal. Before long, there were 20 parents attending the class. Parent participants now feel more confident in talking to teachers and other staff members and are more willing to participate in other school activities.

The regular English class, which is now supported by teacher volunteers, provides a great forum for consulting and communicating with new parents and family members and allows parents/carers to raise issues with the school.”

The costs of providing interpreter services are, in most cases, met by the DoE. NSW public schools do not have to pay for interpreter services when communicating with parents or community members for occasions such as the following:

• Matters involving students such as school enrolment, subject choice, reporting on student progress, attendance, welfare or behavior.
• Interviews with the school counsellor, principal or year advisor.
• Meetings conducted with groups from diverse language backgrounds such as parent/teacher information sessions.
• School Council or Parents and Citizens (P&C) meetings.
• Career education or subject choice meetings.
• This may include delivery of training sessions for parents such as the Families in Cultural Transition (FICT) or the Settling In program.
• Interpreters are not funded by DoE for events such as graduation ceremonies, school performances or school excursions.
• If schools wish to engage interpreters for these purposes, the cost must be met by the school.
• Any cost for interpreters for international students must also be met by schools using the fees paid by those students.

For advice on whether a planned interpreter assignment falls within DoE guidelines and further information about accessing interpreters, refer to the Interpreting and translation services: Guidelines for schools on the DoE intranet site.

Families may want a family member or friend to interpret for them. However it should be noted that there may be emotional involvement in these instances leading to a lack of impartiality and/or possible misunderstandings when interpreting is not provided by a qualified interpreter.

• Interpreting is a specialist skill that is not possessed by everyone who is bilingual.
• It requires a high level of fluency in both languages and the ability to quickly, accurately and appropriately convey the whole message from one language to another.
• Qualified and registered interpreters are bound by the Australian Institute of Translators and Interpreters Code of Ethics which requires them to practise impartiality, confidentiality and accuracy.

In general, it is not appropriate to use students or relatives to interpret.

• They may not be familiar with the specialist terminology used, the cultural nuances involved or be sufficiently fluent in both languages to accurately convey the message.
• It is particularly important that schools do not use students to interpret in matters relating to student welfare, counselling or attendance.
• Students may not have the knowledge or maturity to adequately convey the message. In addition, using students to interpret for parents may affect family relationships.