So, why teach Greek?

I REFER to the article in The Murray Pioneer on Friday (9/7/10), headed 'Locals back Greek language push' in the community.

I, for one, am not happy with it. English should be used, as it is our native tongue.
What a waste of the federal funding and recourses, with the proposed teaching of Greek language in our schools.
Mike Rann has passed the buck again, from state to federal level.
I ask, is he really interested in Greek culture and language? He is an excellent spin doctor in telling us what we want to hear, but he did not offer any South Australian finance for his state schools.
I am not in any way referring to Greek history or culture; there is no doubt this is of vast heritage value, both to the state and Australia.
But internationally, where is the Greek language used, either in business, commerce or trade, other than in Greece?
I believe, as many others do, that first priority in all schools should be to teach English, including elocution, grammar and sentence construction, without use of swear words. We should also teach courtesy when speaking.
For schools and their students' future to be of any value, let us look what language is needed internationally. What jumps out is trade with Australia’s close trading partners, Japan, China and Indonesia.
We have most forward thinking schools teaching these three, and a very small number teaching Greek, 35 classes in 10 schools of the 778 in South Australia.
These are alongside the valuable international subjects for students of Japanese, Chinese and Indonesian.
With these three, an understanding of their culture is equally important for the international understanding of world affairs.
Another benefit for the 778 schools are the bonds formed through 'international sister-ship’ in a foreign country, where a school has exchange ‘home stay’ visits.
Thus the students and schools begin an international family, which does not look at colour, race or creed.
I have always believed Latin, as a dead language, is used for naming ‘things’, as in biology, not the living Greek.
There is an old adage: It’s all Greek to me.
MEL SMITH
Berri