Asia studies falls behind in Australia

Gaps in cultural understanding of China need to be addressed: Report

Australia faces major challenges in its understanding of Asia, with significant gaps in education on the language and culture of China and the rest of the region that need to be addressed, according to the latest analysis.

Australian students at the Year 12 or university levels are not studying Asian languages at adequate rates, according to the findings of a major parliamentary report released on June 30.

In 2023, only 3.3 percent of Year 12 students studied one of three previously designated "priority Asian languages" — Chinese, Indonesian, and Japanese — a decrease from 5.1 percent in 2010, it said.