[lg policy] Australia: Language studies plan backed despite high cost

[Harold Schiffman]

Language studies plan backed despite high cost

Date
    October 29, 2012

Benjamin Preiss Higher Education Reporter


THE FEDERAL government's plan to allow all students the opportunity to
study an Asian language would cost billions of dollars, an Asia policy
expert says. Swinburne University Asian policy Professor Ken Chern
praised the government's ''ambitious'' strategy to build stronger ties
with Asia but said it would require a major commitment.

"The government will have to move powerfully to implement what I think
is a very important program," he said. The government's Asian Century
white paper, launched yesterday, outlines plans to improve
Australians' knowledge of Asian languages and culture. It aimed for
all students to have access to studying Mandarin, Hindi, Indonesian or
Japanese throughout their schooling.

Professor Chern said giving all students the opportunity to learn an
Asian language would "likely run into the billions". ''It's a
seriously expensive project,'' he said. But he welcomed the white
paper's proposal for Asian language studies to be a core requirement
of funding arrangements for schools to be negotiated between the
federal and state governments and non-government education
authorities.

Professor Chern said it was crucial that Australian students were
exposed to Asian culture by incorporating it into history, economics
and political studies at schools and universities. Asia Education
Foundation executive director Kathe Kirby welcomed the education
objectives listed in the white paper but said they would require the
support of state and territory governments.

The foundation believes it would cost about $1 billion to have 50 per
cent of young people in Australia learning an Asian language over the
next decade.

Ms Kirby said some students were put off learning Mandarin because
they studied alongside native speakers who already had a strong grasp
on the language.

Although Mandarin is offered separately for new and native speakers in
Victoria, Ms Kirby said students often studied in the same class.

"Where the system falls down is schools usually don't have enough
students to be running separate classes," she said.

The white paper sets a goal of 10 Australian universities reaching the
top 100 in the world by 2025. Australia now has six universities in
the first 100 of the Times Higher Education's global rankings.

Melbourne University's Asia Institute director Pookong Kee said many
Asian governments were investing heavily in their universities.

He said institutes in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan were trying
to establish themselves as world-leading universities with their
governments "rapidly outspending Australia" on higher education. ''The
global situation is changing rapidly,'' he said.

The federal government also aims to encourage more Australian
university students to study in Asian universities.

Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans said the government would
support universities to increase the number of students taking Asian
studies and languages as part of their education.

"We want to support more Australian students to undertake part of
their study in the Asian region not only to boost their direct
understanding of Asia in the changing economy, but also to develop
networks and friendships that will last a lifetime," he said.

''Our aim is that by 2025, a larger number of Australian university
students will be studying overseas and a greater proportion will be
undertaking part of their degree in an Asian country.''

But Professor Kee said his institute had already been trying to
encourage more Australian students to study in Asia. ''In general
students are still preferring to travel to Europe. They find Paris
more interesting than New Delhi or Beijing,'' he said.

Professor Kee said students who did study in Asia sometimes struggled
to gain recognition from local universities for the work they had
completed.

b.preiss at theage.com.au

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/language-studies-plan-backed-despite-high-cost-20121029-28dxt.html#ixzz2AhTLEuGJ


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