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

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).

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

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

PricewaterhouseCoopers Melbourne Institute Asialink Index

www.asialink.unimelb.edu.au

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…’

Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians

Goal 1

Equity and Excellence: schooling contributes to a socially cohesive society

Goal 2

Successful learners: able to make sense of their world

Confident and creative individuals: have a sense of self worth and identity; relate well to others

Active and informed citizens: appreciate Australia’s social, cultural and linguistic diversity; communicate across cultures especially Asia; act as responsible global and local citizens

Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia: priority for all students

Intercultural Understanding:required by all students

Australian Curriculum

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.

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

Skills, Knowledge, UnderstandingsStudents

ICT: wikispaces, skype, web, mobile telephony, smart boards

Subject knowledge and skills

Communication: language & intercultural skills

Values: curiosity, openness, friendship & intercultural understanding

Teachers

ICT: wikispaces, skype, web, mobile telephony, smart boards & blending ICT into classroom pedagogy

Subject knowledge and skills to frame learning sequence

Communication: language & intercultural skills to guide student to student interaction & collaborate with teacher partner

Incentive: student outcomes, friendship & intercultural understanding

• Education leaders: champions• Curriculum frameworks: explicit• Monitor & report: intercultural dimension; Asia literacy• Curriculum resources: available & relevant• ICT: link teachers and students across the world• Teacher professional learning: available & in-depth• Teacher education: intercultural & Asia dimension• School leaders : supported to lead change• Parents and school communities: support/demand • Languages: essential

Achieving Asia literacy & intercultural understanding requires systemic leadership & support

www.deewr.gov.au/schooling/nalssp

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

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