Milestones

Chronology

1960
The first class of Slovenian in Victoria is offered by Joze Kapušin at the Slovenian Religious and Cultural Centre in Melbourne. The same year Anica Srnec took over the class. Other teachers joined in the effort: Lucija Srnec, Anica Špacapan, Vikitorija Mrak, Draga Gelt, Pavlina Pahor and the Franciscan Sisters who arrived during this period. The commitment and dedication to Slovenian language classes by Štefan Srnec should be mentioned. Particularly during the initial stages he organized transport for the pupils, when parents lived too far away to bring them.

1974
The Slovenian Association Planica establishes a Slovenian class. The teacher is Lucija Srnec.

1976
There are two large classes of Slovenian at Ss.Cyril and Methodius Catholic Mission, Kew in Melbourne. Lucija Srnec is the teacher of the senior class, Pavlina Pahor the juniors.
Aleksandra Ceferin (BA, MA, Dip.Ed, Monash University) is contacted by Father Stanko Zemljak, Head of the Slomšek School, who asks her "Can anything be done for Slovenian HSC?"(“matura”).
She approached Prof Jiri Marvan, Chairman of the Committee for Balto-Slavonic Languages, who agreed to the accreditation.
Victorian Institute of Secondary Education announces a two-year moratorium on accreditation of new HSC subjects
Aleksandra Ceferin explores the possibility of offering Slovenian language as an accredited school subject at the Saturday School of Modern Languages (est. 1934).
Slovenian language is accepted as a school subject after a formal approach, required documentation and fulfilled conditions, including a syllabus at two levels prepared by Aleksandra Ceferin.
Slovenian Teachers’Association of Victoria (STAV) was established by Aleksandra Ceferin with the assistance of Drago Ceferin, with 20 members.
President: Aleksandra Ceferin

1977
Slovenian classes begin at three school centres, University High School, Box Hill High School and Maribyrnong High School, with two classes at two levels. There are together 140 students.
Teachers:
Marija Bosnič, Draga Gelt, Magda Hribernik, Vesna Iskra, Lucija Srnec, Natasha Vincent
Coordinator:
Aleksandra Ceferin

Slovenian is for the first time in the English world an accredited elective secondary subject.
 
1978
Slovenian is introduced as an elective school subject into the newly established Saturday School of Community Languages in the state of New South Wales, Sydney.
Prof. Dunston (Chairman, Board of Studies, NSW) contacts Aleksandra Ceferin regarding the introduction of Slovenian as a Higher School Certificate in the NSW school system. A. Ceferin prepares the necessary documentation to start the process of documentation and certification. Aleksandra Ceferin is appointed with Prof. De Bray (Australian National University) and Prof. Marvan (Monash University) a Consultant/Adviser and Examiner for the Higher School Certificate Examination in NSW.
 
1979
A. Ceferin establishes the Committee for accreditation of Slovenian language and prepares a formal accreditation proposal for the Victorian Institute of Secondary Education (VISE)
The first Slovenian HSC class sits for examination in NSW
1980 Sub-committee for Accreditation of Slovenian is established
Members: A.L. Ceferin (Slovenian Course Developer);
P. Bizilj (Lecturer, RMIT);
Graham Marshall (Department of Education);
Greg Comish (Victorian Institute of Secondary Education);
A.Malaniuk (Member, Balto-Slavonic VISE Standing Committee);
P.V. Cubberley (Lecturer, Department of Russian, Melbourne University,
Balto-Slavonic VISE Standing Committee
Slovenian is the first VCE accredited subject in the reformed school system in Victoria

1981
The first Slovenian class completes the Higher School Certificate in Victoria.
Students: Robert Lotrič, Andrej Potočnik, Sigrid Vrtačič, Andrea Vučko
Teacher: Jožica Paddle-Ledinek (1981-1987)

HSC Commitee for Slovenian Language:
Members:
Aleksandra Ceferin , Chairperson
Jožica Paddle-Ledinek
Marija Bosnič

1983
Saturday School of Languages Advisory Council is established. It represents 32 languages, 500 teachers and 11,000 students. Aleksandra Ceferin is elected Vice-President (1983-1987).

1985
Slovenian Literary Reader and Slovenian Folk Songs are published by Aleksandra and Drago Ceferin.

1986
Slovenian Language Teachers’, Parents’ and Students’ Association of Victoria (SLTPSAV) is established.
All the HSC subjects undergo a review, re-evaluation and re-accreditation process. Slovenian Re-accreditation Committee: Aleksandra Ceferin (HSC Course Developer), Stefan Kasaryk (Principal of Saturday School of Languages), Jožica Paddle-Ledinek, Marija Bosnič and Drago Ceferin.
Field of Studies Committees for main subject areas are established and appointments of representatives of secondary and tertiary sectors made. It is the beginning of a five year process of a complete school reform at the senior secondary levels (Year 11 & 12).
A Ceferin is appointed member of Field of Studies Committee for Languages Other Than English. (FOSC for LOTE).

1991
Aleksandra Ceferin prepares VCE Slovenian Course Outlines for Year 11 & 12 Slovenian with thematic approach and task requirements. It is a model used in the development of Course Outlines for other languages taught at the school.
Slovenian is one of the languages defined as Interstate Cooperation Languages, with a common written examination
A. Ceferin is appointed Vetting Examiner in Verification State Chairperson for Slovenian and German in Victoria
 
1992
The first class of Slovenian students (Victorian Certificate of Education) completes the reformed VCE.
Students: Anne Birsa, Barbara Brožič, Simon Grilj, David Hvalica, Belinda Marn, Erik Mrak
Teacher: Viki Mrak (1989-1993)

1993
Aleksandra Ceferin is appointed Area Manager, Victorian School of Languages (V.S.L) with responsibilities for course development and accreditation of six 6 languages, including Slovenian.
 
1995
Viki Mrak, VCE teacher in Victorian School of Languages and member of STAV travels to Slovenia to participate in the Seminar for teachers of Slovenian language, sponsored by the Slovenian government.
 
1996
Sandi Ceferin, member of STAV travel to Slovenia to participate in the Seminar for teachers of Slovenian language, sponsored by the Slovenian government.
Aleksandra Ceferin is appointed Assistant Principal for VSL, with the responsibility for introducing the reformed language curriculum – Curriculum Standards Frameworks (CSF) in the VSL. The Slovenian model of The CSF Guidelines for Slovenian is developed and completed by Sandi Ceferin.
 
1997
Aleksandra Ceferin travels to Slovenia to participate in the Seminar for teachers of Slovenian language. Closer links with the Slovenian Emigrant Association are established.

1998
 Web site for all  Victorian Language Associations known as the Lotelinx project - the initiative, with the provision of professional development and financial support comes from the Ministry for Education, Training and Employment, Victoria. It is intended for the use of Victorian teachers and students.
STAV is reinstituted as Institute for Slovenian Studies of Victoria Inc (ISSV). The main project of ISSV is a web site intended for the descendants of Slovenian emigrants in the English-speaking world, and the public interested in Slovenia and Slovenian culture.

1999
Thezaurus.com is published on the web: with a Language Resources section, Sloveniana Webzine, and links. Partial financial support allocated by the Ministry for Culture, Republic of Slovenia.
A. Ceferin travelled to Slovenia, establishes contacts with the Office for Slovenes Abroad, Ministry for Culture, Faculty of Arts (University of Ljubljana), collects material, establishes links with individuals.
 
2000
Development of Thezaurus web site - monthly average of 14,000 hits; writing articles for Sloveniana Webzine and other publications.
A. Ceferin travelled to Slovenia for Thezaurus projects - meetings, contact with Slovenian organisations. 
VCE Study Design - Languages other than English - Slovenian, for period 2002-2005 in Victoria, written by Aleksandra Ceferin and Sandi Ceferin.

2001
ISSV organises the Australian reading tour of five Slovenian authors in Melbourne in August - Andrej Blatnik, Evald Flisar, Lela Njatin, Tomaž Šalamun, Maja Vidmar - on radio and print media, posters and contacts with institutions. Reading programs were at Monash University, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Victorian Writers’ Association, Baraga House.
Literator.com is launched at RMIT - an archive of modern Slovenian literature in English translation - commencing with works from “The Imagination of Terrra Incognita - Slovenian Writing 1945-1995”, edited by Aleš Debeljak (1997).
Literator.com - a major press conference held by Aleksandra Ceferin for Slovenian public in Ljubljana 18 September 2001, at the Slovenian Writers’ Association offices.
New project: Webclassroom. Developed by Sandi Ceferin (thematically-based topics with Slovenian Web resources)
Discussions held regarding the Online course of Slovenian language prepared by Aleksandra and Sandi Ceferin.
Thezaurus web site statistics indicate hits increase to 57, 000 hits monthly in December (from 53 countries).

2002
Slovenian Course Outlines CSF (Year 1-10) and VCE (Year 11-12) commissioned by the Victorian School of Languages - written by Sandi and Aleksandra Ceferin.
Galeria Sloveniana was launched in August 2002, with online exhibition of Slovenian Australian artists of Victoria opened at Slovenian Religious and Cultural Centre, Melbourne. 
25th Anniversary of teaching Slovenian language in Australia is announced, meetings held with Slovenian organisations, a Committee is formed for the event, and the Committee for 25th Anniversary Cultural Program is set up.  
ISSV initiates and organizes an exchange program for Australian secondary students, who study Slovenian. The Republic of Slovenia funds the scholarship and host schools in Slovenia provide boarding. A student spends five weeks at the Diocesan Secondary College Vipava from December 2002.
Meetings with historian, Aleksej Kalc, from Science and Research Centre, Koper in November in his capacity as archivist for Slovenian Archives project for Slovenes around the World. Florijan Auser of Slovenian Media House, Sydney, filmed interviews for Archives.  A. Ceferin provides him with a report on ISSV Archives to be used for the project.

2003
On 22 March the book, Slovenian Language in Australia 1977-2002, written by A. Ceferin is launched at the 25th Anniversary celebration of learning Slovenian, at the Slovenian Religious and Cultural Centre in Melbourne.
A celebration, and cultural programme was held - performed by present and former VCE students.
On 23 March a Conference is held “ The Conference - Slovenian language and culture: the future”at Baraga House,  Kew
In the student exchange program three students of Slovenian attend the Diocesan Classical Gymnasium in Ljubljana from September to December 2003. A VSL distance and student program for the students while in Slovenia was developed by ISSV.

2004
Thezaurus web site statistics increase steadily to an average of 200,000 hits monthly. 
Aleksandra Ceferin (BA, MA, Dip.Ed) received the Education Award of the Republic of Slovenia in Ljubljana on 2 October 2004, for her innovative and organizational work in the field of teaching Slovenian language.

Slovenian short story of Andrej Blatnik was introduced in the General and Comparative Literature Course at Monash University.

Student exchange program is organised by ISSV, and parents of Australian students hosted three students from Diocesan Classical Gymnasium to attend schools in Melbourne from August to September 2004.

2005
ISSV Archives prepared for web publication, a record of Slovenian language teaching as a school subject in Victoria since 1976 (c.2000 PDF pages).

Aleksandra Ceferin and Daša Koprivec, senior curator at Slovenian Ethnographic Museum meet in Ljubljana and initiate discussions about an exhibition of handicrafts by Slovenian settlers in Victoria, Australia.

2006
Aleksandra Ceferin, President ISSV Inc.,  writes a formal invitation to Daša Koprivec to visit Melbourne and undertake research into Slovenian handicrafts.

Daša Koprivec receives funding by the Office for Slovenes Abroad and arrives in Melbourne in May. A series of meetings with the community and home visits are organized by Aleksandra Ceferin, who also takes photos of exhibitors and exhibit items.

ISSV agrees to act as distributor for a new series of bilingual children's books - Forget me nots, published in Slovenia.

Aleksandra Ceferin compiles a series of her photos into photo albums of Slovenia (27 albums), and Slovenes in Australia (7 albums) for the new web gallery Sloveniana Photologs on the Thezaurus website.

2007
The major project of  reconstruction of the website http://www.thezaurus.com with a  new database publisher system is undertaken. It inaugurates the launch of Literator, Aleš Debeljak's anthology of Slovenian post-war literature in English translation, the publication of the series of articles on Iacobus Gallus, Slovenian Impressionists, Friderik Baraga, Primož Trubar, Janez V. Valvasor, 16th century in Slovenia and an extended introduction to Sloveniana Webzine, publication of restructured Webclassroom with introduction, etc.

Slovenian Ethnographic Museum of Ljubljana receives funding by the Ministry of Culture for an online exhibition of Slovenian Handicrafts in Victoria, as a collaborative project of SEM and ISSV.

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