The Opposition is promising to get more Australians to study languages to take advantage of the economic opportunities of the so-called Asian century.
Shadow Education Minister, Tanya Plibersek, has announced an eight-part package, including 100 scholarships a year for Asian language native speakers, and top performers in Year 12, to study teaching.
It also includes intensive training for 5000 principals and senior teachers, improving Asian language curriculum material from pre-school to Year 12, and a whole-of-government audit of Australian and state government literacy and language education policies.
“Asia is home to the fastest growing middle class on earth,” Ms Plibersek said.
“And Australia is right on its doorstep. The jobs of the future are in our region.
“Nine out of ten of the next billion people in the middle class live in our region.
“To fully take advantage of that great economic opportunity we need to make sure more of our young people are studying an Asian language and are Asia literate.
“In recent years the proportion of school students choosing to study Asian languages in Year 12 has stagnated, and in some cases, gone backwards.”
Labor, she said, would make Asian languages a priority, investing $32 million.
“At a time when Scott Morrison is using foreign policy as a political tool, Labor is doing the work to put in place the foundations for a more prosperous relationship with our region,” Ms Plibersek said.
The package comes on top of previously announced policies aimed towards taking advantage of a burgeoning Asian middle class.
