Indonesian language study headed for extinction at Australian universities

Chris Bowen: 'It is an outrage that more Australian people were studying Indonesian in 1972 than are today.' Photograph: Sam Mooy/AAP

It would be an "irreversible national scandal" if Australia allowed Indonesian studies to cease in this country, the federal shadow treasurer warns.

The language is on track for extinction at Australian universities in the next decade because not enough high school students are coming through at junior levels, despite efforts by the Rudd government to inject resources into Asian language studies.

"It is an outrage that more Australian people were studying Indonesian in 1972 than are today," Chris Bowen said.

Bowen is studying a university language course by correspondence and wants more politicians and Australians generally to give it a shot.

"Those of us in politics who lecture young people to study Asian languages run the risk of being hypocritical, unless we are prepared to put some skin in the game ourselves," he said.

In fact, Bahasa Indonesia might become the secret language of a tiny club of Labor MPs in the party's caucus room – frontbench colleagues Andrew Leigh, and Stephen Jones as well as Penny Wong who speaks Bahasa Malay.

Bowen said there was a reluctance among those north of 40 to start learning a second language but people needed to remember it wasn't about perfection – it was about having a go.

He also pointed out that with the decentralisation of power across the Indonesian archipelago some governors and mayors wouldn't be able to necessarily speak English like cabinet ministers from Jakarta.

Bowen has already tested his language skills on the Indonesian Ambassador to Australia, Nadjib Riphat Kesoema, but hasn't been to Indonesia this year for a chance to speak Bahasa with politicians.

"Our relationship with Indonesia is under-done. We need to have less transactional relationships with the country," Bowen said.

He declined to reveal what policies Labor would take to the next election to boost second-language learning in Australia.

University of Melbourne professor Tim Lindsey says the only way to fix the problem is a $100m federal government investment.

Bowen attended the inaugural National Australia Indonesia Language awards in Melbourne on Friday.

Source: Indonesian language study headed for extinction at Australian universities