Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Evans. I refer to the Australia in the Asian century white paper, which includes as a key priority ensuring every student has continuous access to high-quality Asian language education. Minister, can you confirm that the government ended the funding for the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program in the 2011 budget and has made no further significant ongoing funding commitment for Asian languages and studies in Australian schools since then? Isn't the government hypocritical in suggesting that it has a commitment to Asian languages, and don't actions speak louder than words?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I reject the assertions made in Senator Milne's question. The Prime Minister made it very clear yesterday when releasing the Asian century white paper that one of the key areas of engagement needs to be the question of improving Australians' Asian literacy—be that cultural understanding, be it familiarity with business systems—and of course a key component of that is improving Australia's appalling record at development of second languages.

It is the case that Australia for many years has struggled to see students take up second languages, be it French, German or Asian languages, and I think it is a deep-seated cultural issue for us. Successive programs have struggled to have a big impact on second language proficiency among Australian students. But the Prime Minister quite rightly pointed to Asian language literacy as being one of the key things that we have to improve our performance on.

It is the case that a current program is coming to an end, but the Prime Minister has made it clear that the Asian languages identified in the white paper will become a focus. It is a focus of my work in the tertiary education portfolio as well, and some recent signs of activity in that area and increased enrolments are encouraging. But we have a lot of work to do to try and provide not only courses but the sort of cultural change and the broad community acceptance of the need and value of Asian languages, because it will be critical to our future engagement in Asia.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for confirming that the government has ended the funding for the National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program and that that ended at the end of the financial year. Can the minister say, instead of just thinking about it, what specific commitments this government is making now to fund not only Asian language programs in schools but the teachers who might actually teach them? What is the funding in this financial year for teachers and Asian language programs?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the first part is to say that the white paper is a set of broad objectives to be achieved over time. It is about a strategic direction for Australia. It sets out those priorities, but it is not designed to provide individual funding decisions.

The government will have more to say on these issues in coming months and, quite frankly, we would like to see a broad national commitment to these objectives. This is not just about government; it is about how Australian business, education institutions, trade unions and all of us engage with taking advantage of the opportunities provided.

But, as the Prime Minister has made clear, part of the Gonski reforms will see us include, as a priority, the question of Asian languages as we commit to a whole new education funding formula in coming months.

Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I thank the minister for confirming that there is no funding in this financial year for teacher education for Asian language programs in schools. I ask him: does the government agree with the Asia Education Foundation that $100 million a year for 10 years is what is required to reverse the decline in the study of Asian languages and to maximise the opportunities, given that there are fewer year 12 students studying Indonesian—or, there were in 2008—than there were in 1972?

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think that in a sense the senator answered her own question. I am not sure about the figure that is claimed in terms of the investment dollars required. As I said earlier, I think it is actually more about a cultural change and acceptance of the importance. The reality is that people have not accepted the value. I think that Indonesian in particular has declined in terms of students in Australia, and that is disappointing.

But I also know, for instance, that one of the factors there has been the travel warnings in relation to Indonesia. We have seen less in the way of travel between Indonesia and Australia in education sponsored visits because of those travel warnings, and some of the good programs that we have done involving travel to Indonesia have been curtailed and their popularity has diminished.

But the key message that we need to do more in that field is absolutely accepted by the government. (Time expired)