Why Indonesia matters in our schools

In the context of Australia’s place in the world, our engagement with Indonesia and Indonesian language (Bahasa Indonesia) is critical. 

However, the story of Indonesian language learning in Australian schools shows clear patterns of rising and falling. Unfortunately, in the last two decades, the fall has dominated. If current trends continue, Indonesian in Australian schools will be in irreversible crisis – caught between some positive efforts in primary schools and ever-dwindling student numbers in the secondary years. And while we have some new data about the current status of Bahasa Indonesia in our schools, almost nothing is known about what students learn, if anything, about Indonesia through other areas of their education. 

In 2021, Asia Education Foundation (AEF) developed a new contemporary Rationale for Australian Education through support from the Australia-Indonesia Institute at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to provide evidence highlighting the current state of the study of Indonesian in schools and the significant opportunities for engaging with Indonesia and Bahasa Indonesia for young Australians.