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Indonesian language and Asia literacy in Australia
Many schools have discontinued their Indonesian-language classes altogether due to a shortage of trained teachers.
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Consul General Listiana Operananta (center), and award-winning Australian students from grade 8 to 11 pose for a group photo at the Indonesian Consulate General in Perth on April 27, 2023. The students received awards from the consulate general for their best marks in Indonesian language in their respective schools. (Courtesy of/Indonesian Foreign Ministry)
T
he Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians was established in 2008. This acknowledged the need for all Australians to become “Asia literate”.
However, after 15 years, and promises it would be mainstreamed, Australian students still learn very little about Asia. For example, teaching the Indonesian language is no longer a priority for many Australian schools. This decline extends beyond high school.
According to the Asian Studies Association of Australia (2023), there has been a steady fall in Indonesian-language enrolments across all Australian universities as well.
Recently, I discussed the Indonesian-language curriculum with teachers in several Australian cities. They confirmed that students’ interest in Indonesian had decreased.
However, the problem does not stop there. Many schools have discontinued their Indonesian-language classes altogether due to a shortage of trained teachers. This means that even those students who are interested in Indonesian cannot be accommodated.
This situation is difficult to understand because the Australian government says it is re-promoting Asia literacy. What is clear, however, is that the decline of Indonesian-language programs in Australian schools and universities will have a negative impact on Australia’s engagement with and, understanding of, Indonesia.
My question is how can we again make Indonesian-language studies popular in Australia?
