After months of unsuccessful searching, Tarneit switched to Punjabi – the parents' next preference – because one teacher at the school already spoke the language and they knew they would receive more applications. Even then, it took until term three to hire their full complement of four Punjabi teachers. Tarneit Central, in Melbourne's west, is one of 160 Victorian kindergartens that received a share of government funding to teach bilingual classes from the start of this year. Almost all of the kindergarten's 270 children spend 7.5 out of their weekly 15 hours on play-based activities in Punjabi. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui While Ms Hillier said the program was the best thing to happen at her kinder since it opened seven years ago, a lack of suitable teachers has hindered many other kinders from implementing the bilingual program.

The government offers bridging courses for language teachers, but the criteria is strict: the teacher must have completed a four-year bachelor's degree and speak the second language fluently. In the class on Thursday, 33 students sat cross-legged as each page of The Very Hungry Caterpillar was read out twice, by two teachers: in English, then in Punjabi. Two five-year-old girls later sat at a table and recited the days of the week in Punjabi with their language teacher, Rajni Bala. Tarneit Central manager Kathy Hillier "can't say a bad word about the program". Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui "Let’s go and play outside," one says in English, while Ms Bala tells another student, in Punjabi, to put out their hands for sunscreen. The transitions are natural and seamless.

Ms Bala is like the Punjabi shadow of lead teacher Michelle Wos. They work in tandem – for the class' end of year songs, Ms Wos is leading The Pinocchio Song (in English) and Ms Bala is teaching the students Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (in Punjabi). Loading The majority of learning, she explains, is through osmosis. "We have one student who is a selective mute, he doesn't speak at kindergarten. But his parents told us that when he gets home, he hums songs and speaks words in Punjabi," said Ms Bala, who started at Tarneit Central in April. At the last census 18.8 per cent of Tarneit residents were born in India. Ms Hillier says while about 90 per cent of students at Tarneit Central come from multicultural backgrounds, only one-third speak Punjabi at home.

But, regardless of their background, every child at Tarneit Central learns in Punjabi. Beyond being applicable in their community, Ms Hillier said learning another language in kindergarten improves children's English comprehension and their ability to pick up other languages once they are in school. Education Minister James Merlino said about 85 per cent of selected kindergartens had recruited language teachers. "Recruitment is under way at other kindergartens and at full rollout, language programs will be delivered at approximately 160 services and reach 5000 children each year," he said. In the last census just 21 per cent of Australians said they had learnt or spoke another language at home.