The message of Harmony Day is ‘everyone belongs’ and that’s certainly true at Wollongong Public School.
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Students dressed in a variety of national costumes, or wore orange, to celebrate the school’s cultural diversity.
They also shared in a picnic of international flavours, and after the school bell rang they invited their parents and families to join in the festivities.
“Harmony Day is important to our school because we have such a diverse, multicultural community here,” assistant principal Samantha Neaves said.
“We have over 50 different languages in the school so the mix of children is very unique.”
Held every year on 21 March, Harmony Day coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Since 1999, more than 70,000 Harmony Day events have been held in childcare centres, schools, community groups, churches, businesses and federal, state and local government agencies across Australia.
Nearly half (49 per cent) of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was; while 85 per cent of Australians agree multiculturalism has been good for Australia according to the 2016 census.
“Australia's success as a multicultural nation is due to our unique model which is one of integration; not assimilation and not separatism,” Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Alan Tudge said.
“We need to work at preserving this successful model, and I hope that Harmony Day is also a day where we recommit to it.”