The world of tomorrow is being shaped in your classrooms today

Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (MCEETYA 2008)

Major changes in the world:

rapid global integration and international mobility

environmental, social and economic pressures extend beyond national borders requiring countries to work together in new ways

World Language Families

Asian Languages 2010• 18% of Australian school students currently study an

Asian language – down from 23% in 2002• Decreases to 5.8% in Year 12 - down from 6.6% in

2008• 94% of year 12 students of Chinese have Chinese

background • Indonesian is losing 10,000 students per year since

2005• Japanese declined 20% - now mostly in primary

schools• Korean taught in very few schools.

Four Languages, Four Stories: the Current State of Japanese, Chinese, Indonesian and Korean Languages Education in Australian Schools, AEF, 2010

Atlas of Faiths

4%

24%

5%

4%

5%

7%

3%

5%

17%

17%

1%

0%

1%

2%

3%

4%

5%

5%

5%

9%

12%

13%

13%

27%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Damage to your values

Climate change

Oppression by your own government

Large scale nuclear war

Loss of energy resources

Epidemics or diseases

Another country attacking Aus/Ind

Another country promoting dissent inAus/Ind

The breakdown of law and order or socialharmony in Aus/Ind

Terrorist attack

Damage to your religion

The breakup of Aus/Ind

Australia Indonesia

Indonesians & Australians: main fear?

Source: Roy Morgan Research, August 2008

Indon No1 worry: Separatists. (And Aussie “meddling”) Aussie No1 worry: Climate.(Not enough Indons care).

Year 12 Modern HistoryTypically, Modern History includes many opportunities for an Asian focus – however most students don’t choose them.

In NSW Modern History, National Studies module:• 2% chose China• 4% chose India, Japan, Indonesia and Australia combined• 4% - South Africa• 6% - USA• 65% - Germany • 19% - Russia/Soviet Union

ACER study on the proportion of Year 12 students studying about Asia in English, History, Geography, International Studies, Politics and Art.

Year 12 VCE EnglishThe prescribed texts for Literature (40 texts) contains 4 texts with Asian focus or content:

• Pearl Buck: The Good Earth • William Dalrymple: City of Djinns• Andrew X Pham: Catfish and Mandala• Michelle de Kretser: The Hamilton Case

Neither of the 2 texts available for examination (The Hamilton Case (Novel) & City of Djinns (Other Literature) is mentioned in the Examiners’ Report.

The Great Gatsby (Scott Fitzgerald) was the most popular choice in the Novel section.

Studies of Asia in Year 12, Australian Council for Educational Research, April 2009

Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians

‘India, China and other Asian nations are growing and their influence on the world is increasing. Australians need to become ‘Asia literate’, engaging and building stronger relationships with Asia…’

PricewaterhouseCoopers Melbourne Institute Asialink Index

www.asialink.unimelb.edu.au

Australia’s future will be “linked to the Asian region in the closest manner in trade and in strife..”

Alfred Deakin Prime Minister, 1903

Within Australia…our Asia-born population is growing as fast as our local born population

-

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

500,000

1972 1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008

Natural increase Net international migration

Source: Access Economics 2010

WHY Asia Literacy? 21st Century reality for all young Australians

• Globalisation: connected people

• Global issues: connected countries

• Rise of Asia: Asia and Australia

= new skills, knowledge, understandings

The new Australian Curriculum requires Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia to be a priority across all learning areas, K-12, and all students to gain intercultural understanding by the time they leave school.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)

Cross Curriculum Priorities K-12

1. Local: indigenous

1. Regional: Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia

1. Global: sustainability

ACARA: Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia Organising Ideas

• The countries of Asia have grown in political, environmental, cultural, economic and strategic importance for Australia, the region and the world.

• The peoples and countries of Asia are diverse in ethnic background, traditions, culture, belief systems and religions.

• The achievements of the people and countries of Asia contribute to world history and human endeavour past and present.

• The countries of Asia have diverse environments and the ongoing interactions between these environments and human activity have influence locally, regionally and globally.

• The arts and literature of Asia have significant influence on the aesthetic and creative pursuits of people and societies in Australia, the region and globally.

• For Australians to be good regional and global citizens we need to learn from, understand, engage with and communicate with our Asian neighbours.

• Australia is located in the Asian region and our histories from ancient

times to the present are linked.

• Australia and individual Australians have played and are playing important roles in major events and developments in the Asia region.

• Australians of Asian heritage have influenced and continue to influence Australia’s dynamic history, culture and society.

Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia Organising Ideas

Year 3 student participates in ICT Teddy Bear exchange with school in Pakistan.

Year 12 English student draws on contemporary politics and traditional Indonesian culture

Year 10 student learns Balinese dance in Performance Arts

Year 6 Music student learns Taiko drumming

Asia Education Foundation

AEF vision: an Australia where all citizens confidently and actively engage with the people, countries and cultures of Asia, both within and outside Australia

AEF mission: through education, to equip young Australians with knowledge, skills and understandings of the people, countries and cultures of Asia.

Established in 1992

www.deewr.gov.au/schooling/nalssp

Julie Morgan visits Xiehe Bilingual School in Shanghai, AEF Study Tour to China

Asia Literate Teachers & Principals

Call for National Action Plan for Asia Literacy

• Australian Curriculum supports Asia literacy for all students

• Supply of Asia-ready teachers • School leaders equipped to lead and support Asia

literacy in schools

• Education sectors invest in implementing the Melbourne Declaration and the Australian Curriculum

• Parents, business and community build demand for Asia literacy

“Every child, from elementary through to high school, will encounter intellectually challenging material about Asia and Asian American topics integrated into diverse subject areas at appropriate grades…”

“Every teacher will have a wealth of opportunities to build knowledge about Asia through formal studies, pre and in service programs, and through travel and exchange programs.”

2001

Educating for AsiaThe New Zealand Curriculum and Asia Guide 2010

“New Zealand’s future is closely linked with the Asia Pacific Region… this is the world in which today’s young people will be living, studying and working.” Karen SewellSecretary for Education

Asia literacy is required to achieve the Melbourne Declaration Goals including:

• Equity and Excellence: schooling contributes to a

socially cohesive society that respects and appreciates cultural, social and religious diversity.

• Successful learners: able to make sense of their world. • Confident and creative individuals: with a sense of self

worth and personal identity and relate well to others. • Active and informed citizens: who appreciate

Australia’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity, have an understanding of Australia’s systems of government, history and culture; who are able to relate to and communicate across cultures, especially the cultures and countries of Asia and who can act as responsible global and local citizens