Australia in the Asian Century White Paper

Australia in the Asian Century White Paper was released on 28 October 2012.  Lots of media coverage. debate and discussion has and is happening now.  It is our road map for success. A road map for a journey to 2025.

So what does it mean for Ozzies?  I am glad you asked. Some of the highlights of what is supposed to happen or is going to happen are many. There is a series of ambitious goals. 25 goals or plans to be exact. Divided into five key areas: the economy, education and skills, commerce, regional security and culture. Too many to go into details here.  The full paper can be read here Australia in the Asian Century White Paper
However here is what is supposed to happen in regards to Education and in particular Languages Other Than English (LOTE) learning by young Ozzies.

• Asian studies will become a core part of the Oz curriculum
• All Ozzie students will have access to one of the priority languages; Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese or Chinese Mandarin.

Quotes at the launch from our Prime Minister include;
"Above all, success for an open Australia in a middle-class Asia starts in the classrooms, training centres and lecture theatres of our nation. Where we open minds, not just markets, to our region."
“Children in kindergarten now will graduate from high school with a sound working knowledge of Asia”
"All students will have access to at least one priority Asian language: Mandarin, Hindi, Indonesian and Japanese. These strategies will be part of our national plan for school improvement,"
Want to know more?  Of course you do.  Details available here;
Slide Show
Fact sheets
Media releases
Issues Paper from December 2011

What next?

I love a good Language Infographic

A collection of Language Infographics. I like to read these, though some are inaccurate. I suppose if you get some statistics and present them in a colourful and attractive way it makes and interesting read. Though I think you can emphasise and highlight some things with a clever graphic representation. Still I enjoy reading them.

Some of these I have found and blogged before...others I found on Pinterest (a pictorial aggregator / semi social networking site), for compiling some of the Language Infographics.  You may find the other things on the board interesting too.  You might find a Chinese Mandarin Learner board there too. 

See they are doing it all wrong they are only rote learning...

Another media report comparing East Asian education to our Australian education system. Killer report is from Dr Ben Jensen, School Education Program Director of the Grattan Institute.

There are  killer facts from this article (some of which we have seen somewhere before);

• Money is poured into Oz education

However it is certainly not encouraging or increasing the number of our students learning an Asian LOTE. Asian LOTE study is at an all time low in Australian schools. 

• Rhetoric between policy and reality of what is going on in the classroom does not match. Lot of talk and little implementation.

There was 44% increase in spending on education in Oz schools between 2000 and 2008. Yet we are falling behind. This is most embarrassing. 

• In East Asia teacher status is high.  Perception is that they are doing an important job preparing youth for for the future. As they are respected these teachers are given time and resources to prepare awesome lessons to teach their students. 

Australian teachers on the other hand...

 "In modern Australia it is a different story. Teachers are certainly not given this status; indeed mention the word status and Australians immediately equate this with salary and perks. Too often our schools are treated like repair shops as the community dumps more and more of its social problems on them. Nor are teachers the proper focus of government rhetoric in the so-called education revolution."

More here; When it comes to status, the teachers get less than top marks

There is a perception that when we compare our Oz Education system to East Asian education systems that it is like comparing apples to oranges.  Learning by rote: why Australia should not follow the Asian model of education

Here comes a very oversimplified generalisation which many in the Ed. business and Oz media like to believe.  East Asian studentS only learn by rote, whereas our Ozzie kids are learning problem solving abilities and higher order thinking skills.  Taking this one step further Oz Education is doing it right....whereas those East Asian systems are doing it wrong. After all those killer facts and figures are based on a European tests and league tables.    We can dismiss the fact that a 15 year old student in Shanghai, China is performing at a level two or three times above an Australian student of the same age. Apparently we in Oz can dismiss that three out of the top four education systems are in East Asia.Sigh.....

See they are doing it all wrong they are only rote learning...

East Asian students years ahead of Australian counterparts: report 

Audio here

"Language skills vital in an Asia-led world"

"Language skills vital in an Asia-led world"

Ten reasons Australian students should be learning Asian Languages now.

10.  Australia's future economic prosperity depends on our ability to be part of Asia's economic growth.

9. Australian school students now perform at levels significantly lower than their Asian peers.

8. We are failing to provide students with knowledge and skills in Asian languages and studies necessary for their futures.

7.  Current Asian language education in Australia  is poor. Too few teachers, teaching inadequate programs to a small number of students.

6. By 2050 the broader Asian economy will the largest in the world.  The Australian economy in 2050 is predicted to be out of the top 20 economies.

5.  Parents should demand that schools teach increase Asian literacy and  language teaching.

4. Governments should be supporting schools that are currently or starting Asian language and culture programs .

3. Even if reforms were made now it will take between 10 and 15 years to train and employ teachers.

2. A plan needs to be put in place now with appropriate funding. This plan needs to improve the quantity and quality of Asian languages in Australian schools.

1.  If the Asian literacy, language and culture program is implemented properly the current weakness and deficit in our inability to engage with Asia, could become our advantage.


Ten things paraphrased from this source Language skills vital in an Asia-led world