NewsReport on the Current State of Indonesian Language Education in Australian Schools released by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on 25 May 2010Make Them Learn the Language from The Australian newspaper 2 June 2010 Education the main driver for closer Indonesia-Australia ties Indonesia-Australia: Love thy quirky neighbors US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says visiting Indonesia Balai Bahasa Indonesia Pertama di Australia Resmi Berdiri Balai Bahasa Indonesia, Upaya Promosi Bahasa di Australia Barat 2020 Summit report 
Endy M. Bayuni reports Saturday, February 21, 2009: As the Indonesian and Australian governments try to give more substance to their relations, their foreign ministers have agreed that education could be the main driver to building what they termed stronger people-to-people contacts. Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, addressing the Australia-Indonesia conference Friday, pledged that Canberra would seek ways to promote the teaching of the Indonesian language at Australian schools and reinvigorate Indonesian studies at Australian colleges. His Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda, noted the declining number of Australians who were experts on Indonesia, down from a decade or so ago. The three-day conference, opened by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Thursday, seeks ways to promote greater people-to-people links between the two countries as part of government efforts to broaden and deepen bilateral relations. Rudd, in his keynote address, and Smith both observed that relations with Indonesia had reached an unusual stage, where government-to-government links were ahead of the other sectors, including even the trade and investment sectors. The warmth in relations at the government level is reflected in the frequency of official contacts at the top level: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Rudd have met on 11 occasions in the past year, and Smith and Wirajuda seven times. Trade ministers Mari Pangestu and Simon Crean have the most contact, meeting 12 times in as many months as they negotiate trade deals between the two countries. Besides building stronger bi-lateral ties, the two govern-ments also work together on many international and regional issues, including in climate change, counterterrorism and at the World Trade Organization. But more work is needed to promote ties at the grassroots level, both governments recognized, hence the need for the Sydney meeting this weekend. Indonesia is the largest recipient of Australian development aid, with some of the money going into financing education projects in Indonesia. Australia is currently involved in helping Indonesia build, repair and expand 2,000 schools across 20 provinces. “Education is a key element of our development assistant work in Indonesia, as well as a driver of sustained people-to-people ties between our two countries,” Smith said. The Australia-Indonesia Institute, marking its 20th anniversary this year, has been at the forefront of promoting greater exchanges of people between the two countries, including youths, journalists, religious leaders and scholars. The Australian government awards 300 scholarships each year for Indonesians to study at Australian universities. In total, some 19,000 Indonesians are estimated to be studying in Australia. By contrast, there are only an estimated 150 Australians studying in Indonesia each year. The Australian government has also allocated $60 million to boost the study of Asian languages, including Indonesian, in Australia. Australia is also investing in Asian studies at its universities, as well as funding programs at Indonesian universities. “Academic links are particularly important as we look to build a new generation of Australian-Indonesian specialists,” Smith said. “They’ve almost become an endangered species.”
Endy M. Bayuni reports Friday, February 20, 2009: Indonesia-Australia: Love thy quirky neighbors Blood may be thicker than water, but physical proximity oftentimes is far more important than even your immediate relatives. What good is a close relative who lives a distance away when you are in dire need of help? Your next-door neighbors, by contrast, will always be there for you. In times of emergency, you have no one else to turn to but your neighbors. That is, of course, assuming that you get on well with them. Relations between Indonesia and Australia in some ways are heading in this direction. Two neighbors who have had more than their share of rows are now determined to live more in the spirit of cooperation. Call it neighborliness. They know that their fates and fortunes are tied together because of their geographical proximity. A two-day conference on Indonesian-Australian relations, which got underway Thursday in Sydney, seeks to broaden and deepen these ties. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will give the keynote address to the gathering that involves 60 people from both sides selected from the government, business sector and civil society. The two giant neighboring countries could not be more different culturally, historically, politically and economically. Because of this, relations between the two countries have had a checkered past, or what Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda describes as being marked by “sudden ups, and sudden downs”. But geography has destined us to be together, like it or not, in good times and bad. It’s not something that either side can change. At times, we are even in denial of our close proximity, preferring to foster relations with more distant countries in the pursuit of our respective national interests, primarily because they are more like us. Indonesia forged close links with Japan, and Australia has retained its European links and identity. Many times in the past, our differences were what kept us apart, in spite of our status as next-door neighbors. Our prejudices of the other, more defined by our perceived differences, have often become the sources of tension and conflict that got in the way of the broader relations. The “sudden downs” in the past included East Timor (Indonesia’s handling or Australia’s meddling), terrorism and the Islam factor, human trafficking, traditional fishing (or illegal fishing in Canberra’s view), Papua asylum seekers, a certain Schapelle Corby, and nine Australians on death row for drug trafficking. More often than not, it’s the bad times or tragedies that brought the two nations closer, providing the “sudden ups”, like the 2002 Bali bombing and the ensuing collaboration to fight terrorism, the Aceh tsunami and other natural disasters since then. One must not forget that Australia in the late 1940s helped newly independent Indonesia’s diplomatic campaign for international recognition. In the past, government officials on both sides of the border have tended to put cultural differences as the main dividing factor. The prevailing view in Australia (at least in Canberra) is that Indonesians are very sensitive and don’t take criticism from people of different cultures lightly, and often react erratically. The prevailing view in Indonesia (again, Jakarta politicians) is that Australians are coarse and arrogant, and even racist. These views of the other led to the culturally sensitive diplomacy pursued by Australia in dealing with Indonesia in the 1990s. Prime Minister Paul Keating exemplified this when he coddled up to president Soeharto in the 1990s, referring to him always as Bapak (Sir). But what Australians took as cultural sensitivity was really a cloak for intolerance to criticism on the part of Indonesians, if not a cover for our inferiority complex. Fortunately, things have changed considerably in Indonesia since the departure of Soeharto from power in 1998. Today, it is a much more open society and more confident, but while we may still have our hang-ups, our leaders today are far more open to criticism. Another factor that opens the way for warmer relations is that East Timor has been taken out of the equation. This was an issue that often jeopardized the entire relationship between Indonesia and Australia for more than two decades. Today, Indonesia and Australia can pursue a more balanced and comprehensive relationship, helped by the changing attitude on both sides of the divide. The leaders of the two countries at least are already feeling comfortable with each other. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has met with Kevin Rudd seven times since late 2007, and their foreign ministers Hassan Wirajuda and Stephen Smith, six times. They are already at the stage of what Hassan describes as “we can just pick up the phone”. There is still room for improvement in the trade and investment areas and there is definitely plenty of work to promote what officials refer to as “people-to-people links”. In education, for example, some 19,000 Indonesians study in Australia, while only 150 Australians study in Indonesia. The teaching of Indonesian has only just been reinvigorated in Australian schools, and it has to compete against the more popular Asian languages like Chinese and Japanese. Public perceptions of the other, both in Australia and Indonesia, take a little longer to change. Many of the old prejudices and stereotyping remain. Many Australians still see Indonesia as a country governed by the military, where crazy Islamic terrorists roam free. Many Indonesians, for their part, still see Australia as essentially a white European nation. This will be the job of the media and other shapers of public opinion in both countries to inform about the changes that have taken place. While the two countries are still very different in many respects, they at least now share similar values when it comes to democracy, freedom, human rights, and cultural tolerance. No doubt the two countries will continue to have differences of opinions on many issues, but with the changing attitude, particularly in Indonesia, the two nations are far more at ease with each other than they have been in the past. They know that in times of crisis and emergency, they can turn to each other like two good neighbors. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says visiting Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority nation, is important ... Hillary Clinton has chosen to visit Indonesia on her first overseas trip, saying she wants to "reach out" to the Muslim world. 
Indonesia "is an important country" for the US as the largest Muslim-majority nation, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said when asked why Ms Clinton included Indonesia on her visit to Asia. "And the secretary feels it's important we need to reach out and reach out early to Indonesia," Mr Wood said. Ms Clinton would meet senior officials in Jakarta to discuss "the close and growing partnership" with Indonesia and perspectives on common interests in Southeast Asia, he said. Balai Bahasa Indonesia Pertama di Australia Resmi Berdiri BRISBANE, SABTU - Pengembangan pengajaran bahasa dan budaya Indonesia di Australia semakin mendapat dukungan kuat. Selain sejalan dengan komitmen kuat pemerintah federal Australia untuk mendukung pengajaran Bahasa Indonesia di negara itu, kini untuk kali pertama di Australia resmi berdiri Balai Bahasa Indonesia (BBI). Kepala Biro Perencanaan dan Kerja Sama Internasional Departemen Pendidikan Nasional (Depdiknas), Agus Sartono, mengemukakan, BBI itu resmi berdiri dan berada di Perth, Australia Barat, sejak 22 April. "Balai Bahasa Indonesia di Perth itu adalah yang pertama di Australia dan diresmikan Konsul RI di Perth, Aloysius L Madja, pada tabggal 22 April ," katanya sebagaimana dilaporkan Antara yang menghubunginya dari Sydney, Sabtu (26/4). Dikemukakan pula bahwa kehadiran BBI itu akan semakin mendukung pengembangan pengajaran bahasa dan budaya Indonesia di negara bagian Australia Barat. "Keberadaannya pun sejalan dengan komitmen kuat Pemerintah Federal Australia untuk mendukung pengajaran Bahasa Indonesia di negara itu," katanya. Agus Sartono, yang selama 15 bulan terakhir menjabat Atase Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan RI di KBRI Canberra ini mengatakan, pembentukan BBI itu merupakan hasil kerja sama baik antara Konsulat RI Perth dan Westralian Indonesian Language Teachers Association (Perhimpunan Para Guru Bahasa Indonesia Australia Barat - WILTA). "Kehadiran BBI itu tidak dapat dilepaskan dari peran Konsul RI di Perth, Dr Aloysius L Madja, bekerja sama dengan Wilta dan para pemangku kepentingan lain sehingga BBI dapat hadir di Australia Barat mulai 2008," katanya menambahkan. Pada bagian lain penjelasannya, Agus Sartono berharap agar semua pihak terkait mendukung pembentukan BBI pertama di Australia itu karena ia merupakan investasi bagi Indonesia dan Australia dalam memperkuat hubungan bilateral dalam jangka panjang. "Dalam konteks kepentingan nasional, kehadiran BBI ini sangat sejalan dengan program pemerintah RI untuk menggalakkan pengajaran bahasa Indonesia di luar negeri" tambahnya. Terkait dengan latar belakang pembentukan BBI, Agus mengemukakan, rapat koordinasi para atase pendidikan dan kebudayaan (adikbud) Depdiknas di Bandung, 2-4 Desember 2007, antara lain mengamanatkan adanya upaya meningkatkan pengajaran Bahasa Indonesia di luar negeri. Menurut catatan ANTARA, ketika menjabat Adikbud RI di KBRI Canberra, Agus Sartono termasuk pejabat publik yang memberikan dukungan konkret kepada BBI di Perth ini. Dukungan itu antara lain berupa pemberian bantuan dana sebesar 10.000 dolar Australia atau lebih dari Rp 80 juta rupiah. Selanjutnya Agus Sartono mengharapkan BBI bisa berkembang menjadi organisasi nirlaba yang bisa berjalan sendiri dengan baik,bahkan bisa menjadi pusat uji kemampuan berbahasa Indonesia (UKBI) bagi para penutur asing di Australia Barat. Mengenai komitmen Australia pada pentingnya pengajaran bahasa-bahasa asing, khususnya bahasa-bahasa Asia, termasuk bahasa Indonesia, tercermin dari pernyataan Menteri Luar Negeri Stephen Smith dan Konferensi Tingkat Tinggi Australia atau KTT 2020 yang diikuti sedikitnya 1.000 warga Australia di Canberra baru-baru ini. Menlu Smith mengatakan, Australia mutlak perlu memiliki lebih banyak generasi muda yang belajar dan bisa berbahasa asing, khususnya bahasa-bahasa Asia seperti Bahasa Indonesia, China, Jepang, dan Korea, untuk mendukung peran diplomasi, hubungan luar negeri dan keterlibatan Australia dalam pergaulan dengan bangsa-bangsa di kawasan Asia Pasifik. 02 Jan 2008 14:00 Balai Bahasa Indonesia, Upaya Promosi Bahasa di Australia Barat w(167))
Pada tanggal 27 Desember 2007, Konsulat Republik Indonesia di Perth bekerjasama dengan Kedutaan Besar RI di Canberra dan Asosiasi Pengajar Bahasa Indonesia di Australia Barat (WILTA) telah bertemu untuk menggagas suatu terobosan promosi Bahasa Indonesia, yaitu melalui pembentukan Balai Bahasa Indonesia di Perth. Hadir pada pertemuan tersebut Konsul RI Dr. Aloysius L. Madja, Atase Pendidikan (Atdik) KBRI Canberra Dr. Agus Sartono, Pejabat Fungsi Pensosbud KBRI Canberra dan staf serta Presiden WILTA Sue Cooper didampingi pendahulunya Karen Bailey. Konsul RI dalam sambutannya menyatakan sangat mendukung gagasan untuk membentuk Balai Bahasa, sebagai suatu tindak lanjut dari rapat koordinasi perwakilan-perwakilan RI se-Australia di Brisbane beberapa waktu lalu, dan berterimakasih kepada WILTA yang telah ikut merumuskan anggaran dasar lembaga tersebut. Menurut Dr. Madja, pembentukan Balai Bahasa tersebut sangat tepat waktunya dengan rencana pemberlakuan Undang-Undang Bahasa Indonesia 2008 yang khususnya mewajibkan setiap pekerja asing di Indonesia memiliki sertifikasi keterampilan berbahasa Indonesia melalui ujian kompetensi bahasa Indonesia. Proyek Percontohan Pertama Sementara itu, Atase Pendidikan RI Dr. Agus Sartono menyatakan bahwa Balai Bahasa ini akan menjadi proyek percontohan pertama lembaga bahasa Indonesia di luar negeri. Beliau menyatakan siap mendukung dengan menyediakan buku-buku panduan dan bahan-bahan pelajaran lain yang diperlukan. Lebih lanjut, Atdik juga akan mengupayakan bantuan dana bagi operasionalisasi awal Balai Bahasa, dan dana berkelanjutan dalam rangka kerjasama kelembagaan dari Departemen Pendidikan Nasional. Pertemuan membahas berbagai pelayanan yang kiranya dapat disediakan Balai Bahasa Indonesia di Australia Barat, seperti kursus bahasa, kelas seni-budaya, dan penyediaan tenaga guru-guru Bahasa Indonesia yang kompeten, serta penerjemahan. Sulitnya Belajar Bahasa Indonesia di Australia Pada kesempatan pertemuan, Mantan Presiden WILTA Karen Bailey menyampaikan bahwa banyak warga Australia yang berminat belajar dan memperdalam pengetahuan bahasa Indonesia tetapi mereka mendapat kesulitan karena tidak ada lembaga bahasa khusus yang menanganinya. Saat Indonesia menjadi bintang utama pada pameran Perth Royal Show bulan September lalu, sudah 40 orang yang mendaftar belajar bahasa Indonesia ketika datang ke Paviliun Indonesia. Akan tetapi keinginan tersebut belum dapat terlaksana. Diharapkan melalui Balai Bahasa ini, keinginan masyarakat Australia yang ingin belajar Bahasa Indonesia menjadi tertampung dan juga dapat menjadi wadah bagi guru-guru bahasa Indonesia Australia. Pembentukan Balai Bahasa Indonesia ditujukan untuk menjadi pusat kegiatan bahasa, seni, dan budaya Indonesia yang dapat berperan langsung di tengah masyarakat Australia. Diharapkan melalui lembaga seperti ini, kaum muda Australia akan mempunyai pemahaman yang lebih mendalam, objektif, dan berimbang mengenai Indonesia. Kerjasama KBRI Canberra dengan Perwakilan-perwakilan se-Australia merupakan sinergi yang baik dalam rangka memajukan hubungan people to people yang diharapkan pada akhirnya akan memperkuat hubungan bilateral kedua negara, yang antara lain dilakukan melalui Balai Bahasa Indonesia. (Sumber: KJRI Perth) Source: http://www.deplu.go.id/?hotnews_id=2710 Professor David T Hill reports back after his attendance at the 2020 Summit There were 100 participants in this stream and more than a dozen sub-themes were pursued during the course of the weekend, with only a small number proceeding to final incorporation into the interim report. The stream strongly supported the importance of Asia and Asia literacy to Australia’s future. In the 38-page report, produced at the close of the Summit and handed to the PM in the final session (to be made public through the Summit website), the stream report included three ambitions for 2020, two of which were:
These elements were elaborated upon in various of the Priority Themes, included specifically: A campaign to develop regional literacy:
Given the numbers of participants involved in the stream who focussed on this particular theme – fluctuating from about half a dozen to more than two dozen in different sessions -- and the variety of perspectives drawn together, the wording was a collaborative broad-brush outcome, incorporating general directions, and avoiding splitting a general agreement with unproductive details. I want to record my personal appreciation particularly to Dr George Quinn (ANU), who prior to the Summit had convened a meeting of several Asianist participants and prepared a ‘discussion starter’ document, and to Prof. Tim Lindsey (U.Melb.) whose work distilling general discussion into a core draft, and whose chairing of the final tight group discussions enabled a consensual document to go forward. That working document, ‘Australia’s 2020 Asia Vision’ is appended. Among the challenges we faced in framing our document (and our ideas) were the exhortations by the Summit convenors that the ideas forthcoming be ‘big’ (resulting in lots of strategic detail being omitted) and ‘new’. For many of us, the challenge of Asia literacy did not seem ‘new’, yet remained a glaring and unaddressed need, central to Australia’s future, and something which we felt it was imperative to advance to the Summit report. Personally, I left the Summit exhausted, delighted that ‘Asia literacy’ had made it into the Report, optimistic still that the Rudd government is sympathetic to our cause. However, I remain wary as to what concrete policies will ultimately flow from this very stimulating weekend, and when we might see the sea-change we need in funding Asian studies at all levels.
Professor David T. Hill
Faculty of Arts & Education Australia’s 2020 Asia VisionAustralia needs a platform in place to be a sustainable high performance community through 2050 and beyond. Asia is rapidly rising. By 2020 Asia’s economy will be larger than the US and Europe combined. Australia is uniquely positioned geographically to benefit. A first order priority is a rigorous refocus on enmeshing ourselves in our neighborhood. However, falling Asia literacy is letting us down. The rhetoric of our improved engagement in the Asia Pacific remains unmatched by performance. More people studied Asia in 1960 than they do today. We are the lowest ranked OECD country for second language skills. Drawing on ideas generated by the 2020 Youth Summit we need to harness Australia’s youthful curiosity and sense of adventure to renew our nation’s engagement with Asia if we are to maximize our potential to engage globally. Australia’s Asia 2020 vision is based on the urgent need to mainstream Asia literacy to secure our future. GOAL By 2020 for Australians the major languages and cultures of our region are no longer foreign but familiar and mainstreamed into Australian society. By 2020, 60 per cent of all Australians will speak a second language, as a means of securing our prosperity and identity into the future. A comprehensive, cross-agency, national strategic plan for a major reinvigoration of Australia’s fast diminishing Asia literacy, to build the software for our global engagement in trade, security and culture. Education at all levels is the key to re-skilling our nation for the ‘Asian century’ and is needed now. STRATEGY A national strategy:
Australians directly experiencing Asia:
Mainstreaming language education:
|
Balai Bahasa Indonesia Perth inc.
the place to learn about Indonesian language and culture
