Asia studies falls behind in Australia

Australia faces major challenges in its understanding of Asia, with significant gaps in education on the language and culture of China and the rest of the region that need to be addressed, according to the latest analysis.

Australian students at the Year 12 or university levels are not studying Asian languages at adequate rates, according to the findings of a major parliamentary report released on June 30.

In 2023, only 3.3 percent of Year 12 students studied one of three previously designated "priority Asian languages" — Chinese, Indonesian, and Japanese — a decrease from 5.1 percent in 2010, it said.

"Fewer and fewer students are learning a second language, and the number of students engaging with Asian studies and Asian languages has fallen to the lowest levels since 1965," according to the report.

The committee behind the report found that "a key issue affecting the current teaching of Asian languages and cultures is the fragmentation across the education system and a lack of coordination between the skills and knowledge that schools and universities impart and how this is connected to the needs of Australia".

"China invests heavily in understanding Australia. Australia's education system is no longer investing seriously in understanding China," it said.

David Goodman, director of the China Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, told China Daily that understanding China and learning Chinese are "crucial to Australia's future".

The center positions itself as representing Australia's largest collection of academic expertise researching China and Chinese culture, with its more than 120 members drawn from the social sciences, business studies, health, engineering, the humanities, science, law, architecture, and music.

"Socially, after Anglo-Celts, the Chinese are Australia's largest migrant group, and, in Sydney, almost one in five residents are Chinese," Goodman said.

"Economically, China is not just Australia's major trade partner, but that economic exchange is central to the maintenance of Australia's high standard of living. Politically, China is the major player in the Asia-Pacific, again central to Australia's future."

He said a major reason behind the fall in Asian — and Chinese-language education study rates in Australia has been "the demonization of China and the development of a 'China threat' discourse" in Australian politics since 2017.

"This has made Australian Chinese uneasy, and tainted interest in China for them and others as being 'siding with the enemy'," Goodman said.

Dramatic decline

He said that Australia's expertise in China studies has declined dramatically over the last decade.

The university and school positions for teaching Chinese and research-oriented appointments have not been refilled after staff retirements. Goodman said these positions are "easily removed when institutions find themselves short of money and needing to find scapegoats".

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the figures in the report were "worse than I thought, but they're heading in the direction that I thought".

Wong said the situation was very challenging to turn around, but Australia needed to do so, according to ABC.

"Because ultimately we have a national asset which is we're a multicultural country, and we've got that capability of engaging with other countries, and that helps us be more secure," she said.

The parliamentary committee made recommendations "to re-prioritize Asia within the education system and to ensure all Australians can learn about Asia and its languages".

Those included more support to recognize "heritage language acquisition in the classroom" and exchange programs, an increase in the supply of specialist teachers, and ongoing professional development.

Goodman from the China Studies Centre said the public sector "could and should invest more in encouraging students to learn Chinese, and developing research on China".