Community-run language schools in Ku-ring-gai will share in more than $5 million in funding from the NSW Government.

The Community Languages Schools Program provides funding to community organisations to help establish and run language schools in the local area. Classes are organised for school age children with non-English speaking backgrounds to maintain their heritage languages.

Hua Xia Chinese Culture School runs classes at Lindfield and Warrawee Public Schools. It will receive $66,000 in funding.

Hornsby Chinese Language and Culture School runs classes at Hornsby Girls’ High School, Normanhurst Boys’ High School and Wahroonga Public School and it will receive $44,000.

The Hornsby Chinese Education Centre will receive $33,000 for classes it runs at Pymble and Wahroonga Public Schools.

Hornsby Chinese Cantonese Language School will receive $8,000 for classes it runs at Hornsby Girls’ High School.

Vishva Hindu Parishad of Australia runs Sanskrit classes at Waitara Public School and will receive $23,000.

Sabdamala - Nepalese Language School runs classes at Normanhurst Boys’ High School and will receive $17,000.

Lindfield Korean School, which runs classes at Turramurra High School, will receive $28,000 in funding.

Member for Ku-ring-gai, Alister Henskens SC MP, welcomed the funding.

“Community languages schools are vital for young people to maintain strong links to their language, heritage and cultural identity,” Mr Henskens said.

“I’m proud to support the tireless and dedicated work of our community languages schools, which engender respect for our many different cultures and help build a stronger Ku-ring-gai.”

Education Minister, Rob Stokes MP, said the NSW Government was committed to supporting education in all its forms.

“We treasure and celebrate the diversity of our multicultural NSW community. This is one way the NSW Government can support that diversity,” Mr Stokes said.