Call to action - May 2008

It is impossible to conceive of a future Australian education system that does not take the study of Asia seriously.

Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Julia Gillard MP, AEF Forum, May 2008

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wants Australia to become ‘the most Asia literate country in the world’. The National Statement for Engaging Young Australians with Asia in Australian Schools (MCEETYA, 2005) sets out the skills and knowledge required to equip young Australians to:

• boost productivity through working with the world’s largest economies including China, India and Japan
• collaborate with our neighbours in Asia to resolve global issues including environmental sustainability and poverty
• strengthen our social capital through understanding Australia’s rich, diverse heritage and what it means to be Australian today.

Urgent action is required by Australia now to achieve Asia literacy for all.

• No education system explicitly requires schools to teach about the Asian region. Data indicates that 50 percent of our schools are not equipped to teach about Asia.
• Less than 25 percent of our students have the opportunity to study an Asian language. Only 5.8 percent of Year 12 students choose to study an Asian language – this decreases to 3 percent at University.
• The majority of our teachers have had no opportunity to learn about Asia in their own education. There is no plan to ensure the Asia literacy of new teachers.
• No education system monitors student learning about Asia.

Achieving Asia literacy requires increasing the cohort of students who can study an Asian language, combined with embedding studies of Asia as a core element in Humanities and Social Sciences, English and The Arts for all students.
The Asia Education Foundation has formed Australia’s Education Alliance for Asia Literacy of peak education stakeholders who call for:

1. The Council of Australian Governments to act by December 2008 to develop and resource a National Action Plan to implement the National Statement for Engaging Young Australians with Asia in Australian Schools and to monitor improvements in Asia literacy through system progress measures
2. The National Goals for Schooling to state the necessity to equip every young Australian with Asia skills and knowledge
3. The National Curriculum to embed studies of Asia as core elements in English, History and Geography
4. The National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program to designate funds to enhance Asian languages teaching and to increase studies of Asia in Humanities and Social Sciences, English and The Arts
5. Digital Revolution initiatives to connect teachers and students with schools in Asia and provide Asia resources on-line
6. Quality Teaching initiatives to develop teachers’ knowledge and skills in teaching Asian languages and teaching about Asia
7. Teacher Education initiatives to equip new graduates with knowledge and skills to teach about Asia and provide incentives to attract Asia-literate graduates, including those with Asian languages, to teaching
8. School Leadership initiatives to expand the Leading 21st Century Schools: Engage with Asia principals’ program
9. Family-School and Community Partnerships Bureau to promote the need for Asia knowledge and skills for every young Australian and promote support from parents to achieve this
10. Business to support Asia literacy for all students.

This Call to Action is an initiative of the AEF Board, endorsed by representatives of peak education bodies at the AEF National Forum, Adelaide 19–20 May 2008.