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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Two Australian universities offer Hindi language courses. Seventeen Australians finished honour-level Chinese-language studies in the five years to 2021. Only 500 of Australia\u2019s 1 million domestic university students are studying Indonesian. Priority Asian languages \u2013 Mandarin, Indonesian, Japanese and Hindi \u2013 are studied by 3.3 per cent of year 12 students.<\/p>\n Australia is second-last in the OECD for language studies in year 10, and sits well below the OECD average for speaking multiple languages (38 per cent of Australians v the average of 68 per cent).<\/p>\n These statistics speak to a dire problem \u2013 Australians have all but abandoned Asian languages, presenting a major challenge to sovereign capability in the face of today\u2019s increasingly complex geopolitical environment.<\/p>\n A lack of language capabilities also undermines national security, removes business opportunities and weakens bilateral relationships in government and business.<\/p>\n \u201cAsia capability is now a vital sovereign capability. You would not know this to look at our schools, our universities or our businesses,\u201d says a standing committee report released on Tuesday.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a result, the institutions that build Australia\u2019s Asia capability now face an existential crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Attempts by previous governments to tackle the problem have all tanked. These have included deeming Asian studies a priority in 1988, setting a target for all tertiary students to study an Asian language by 1995, a $62 million cash injection in 2009 and creating opportunities for all students to learn a priority language under the Gillard government\u2019s white paper.<\/p>\n Sydney Institute for Community Language Education and University of Sydney Professor Ken Cruickshank said Asian languages had a \u201clow status\u201d as they were not part of the state curriculum.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Commonwealth come up with great policies and programs but don\u2019t run one school. States control languages and language curriculum and there\u2019s no continuity between them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Related Article The perceived difficulty of Asian languages \u2013 despite Indonesian being on par with French for English speakers to learn \u2013 as well as concerns about the impact on an ATAR also factor into the decline.<\/p>\n Tuesday\u2019s report proposes significant structural changes to address this. \u201cThe time has come for a different approach. The costs of inaction are no longer a matter for future parliaments.\u201d<\/p>\n The committee has made a series of recommendations that go to the heart of the education system, including five guaranteed bonus ATAR points for year 12 students who learn an Asian language that is new to them, bilingual high schools, and teaching scholarships for people specialising in priority languages.<\/p>\n It also recommends changes including reviews of the visa system for would-be language teachers, an intensive program allowing existing teachers to specialise in a priority language, and a 10-year National Asia Capability Strategy to track participation in Asian languages across schools.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething has to give, or languages will die,\u201d Cruickshank said.<\/p>\n Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Few](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/e6bbd0aa800c0046e2a8fa84fe9bbef283f6b537.jpeg\")
Few Australian students study an Asian language.Matthew Absalom-Wong<\/p>\n![\"Few](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782804013_208_e6bbd0aa800c0046e2a8fa84fe9bbef283f6b537.jpeg\")
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