(Jakarta, 15th) – Telling domestic students to learn French when meeting French leaders, and urging students to study Portuguese when meeting Brazilian leaders, Indonesian President Prabowo’s frequent orders to learn foreign languages have drawn domestic criticism, with teachers’ groups also refusing to comply.
During a visit to France on May 28, while speaking to the media alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Prabowo mentioned that, in consideration of future global developments, he had instructed that all Indonesian students at every grade level must learn French.
The announcement was sudden, catching Indonesia’s education sector off guard and drawing much reservation from political circles and online opinion.
Lalu Hadrian, Deputy Chairperson of Parliament’s Tenth Committee and National Awakening Party legislator, issued a statement on May 29, saying that French language teaching should not be simply an “international diplomatic agenda item,” and that the government should not hastily implement policies without considering whether the national education system is ready. He called for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to explain how they planned to implement this.
On the same day, Atif, Deputy Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, stated that Prabowo’s order would be studied and followed up.
However, the Indonesian Education and Teachers Association has refused to comply with Prabowo’s directive. The association’s national coordinator, Sadriwan, released a statement on May 30 saying, “The president’s unexpected order for all schools to teach French to all grade levels surprised both teachers and students.”
This was not the first time Prabowo suddenly announced domestic educational decrees in diplomatic settings. Last October, during Brazilian President Lula’s visit to Indonesia, Prabowo also ordered Indonesian schools to teach Portuguese. To date, authorities have not established a clear roadmap or guidelines.
Sadriwan commented that you can’t just require Japanese, Chinese, or Dutch to be taught every time there is a meeting with leaders from Japan, China, or the Netherlands. He criticized: “Education management cannot be treated like child’s play.”
Teaching foreign languages to all grades means teacher resources are inadequate. Sadriwan pointed out that Indonesia’s public schools are currently short by 374,000 teachers. If each school needs one French teacher and one Portuguese teacher, 480,000 foreign language teachers would be necessary, a demand the government cannot meet. “This would ultimately lead to teachers of other subjects being forced to teach French and Portuguese, violating professional standards and placing more burdens on teachers.”
A’an Suryana, visiting senior fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, told Lianhe Zaobao that it is unclear whether Prabowo’s statements were scripted or impromptu, but it was obvious the move was made to please Macron, and reflects the Indonesian government’s lack of planning.
He added that it is impossible to introduce both French and Portuguese into schools in a short period. On one hand, it takes time and funds to train teachers; on the other, rather than introducing more foreign languages, Indonesia should focus on improving the quality of education in Bahasa Indonesia, English, and mathematics.
“Prabowo’s directive is difficult to implement. The Ministry of Education may try to draft some plans to avoid offending the president or to save face for him, but spending public funds on projects not listed as national priorities is not worthwhile.”
Wasisto Raharjo Jati, a political researcher at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency, remarked that Prabowo’s impulsive style shows his tendency for personal showmanship. In the eyes of foreign partners, this also demonstrates how, under current circumstances, Indonesian leaders’ personal preferences can wield tremendous influence.
A’an further noted that if Prabowo continues making such hasty announcements, it will erode trust in him among both foreign leaders and the Indonesian public.
“The president’s directives should be carefully planned and reviewed for feasibility, with regular reassessment, and rewards and penalties for implementers. These procedures give credibility to presidential instructions. Conversely, failing to observe such protocols will result in the president being seen as poorly planned or unprofessional.”
The announcement was sudden, catching Indonesia’s education sector off guard and drawing much reservation from political circles and online opinion.
Lalu Hadrian, Deputy Chairperson of Parliament’s Tenth Committee and National Awakening Party legislator, issued a statement on May 29, saying that French language teaching should not be simply an “international diplomatic agenda item,” and that the government should not hastily implement policies without considering whether the national education system is ready. He called for the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to explain how they planned to implement this.
On the same day, Atif, Deputy Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, stated that Prabowo’s order would be studied and followed up.
However, the Indonesian Education and Teachers Association has refused to comply with Prabowo’s directive. The association’s national coordinator, Sadriwan, released a statement on May 30 saying, “The president’s unexpected order for all schools to teach French to all grade levels surprised both teachers and students.”
This was not the first time Prabowo suddenly announced domestic educational decrees in diplomatic settings. Last October, during Brazilian President Lula’s visit to Indonesia, Prabowo also ordered Indonesian schools to teach Portuguese. To date, authorities have not established a clear roadmap or guidelines.
Sadriwan commented that you can’t just require Japanese, Chinese, or Dutch to be taught every time there is a meeting with leaders from Japan, China, or the Netherlands. He criticized: “Education management cannot be treated like child’s play.”
Teaching foreign languages to all grades means teacher resources are inadequate. Sadriwan pointed out that Indonesia’s public schools are currently short by 374,000 teachers. If each school needs one French teacher and one Portuguese teacher, 480,000 foreign language teachers would be necessary, a demand the government cannot meet. “This would ultimately lead to teachers of other subjects being forced to teach French and Portuguese, violating professional standards and placing more burdens on teachers.”
A’an Suryana, visiting senior fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, told Lianhe Zaobao that it is unclear whether Prabowo’s statements were scripted or impromptu, but it was obvious the move was made to please Macron, and reflects the Indonesian government’s lack of planning.
He added that it is impossible to introduce both French and Portuguese into schools in a short period. On one hand, it takes time and funds to train teachers; on the other, rather than introducing more foreign languages, Indonesia should focus on improving the quality of education in Bahasa Indonesia, English, and mathematics.
“Prabowo’s directive is difficult to implement. The Ministry of Education may try to draft some plans to avoid offending the president or to save face for him, but spending public funds on projects not listed as national priorities is not worthwhile.”
Wasisto Raharjo Jati, a political researcher at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency, remarked that Prabowo’s impulsive style shows his tendency for personal showmanship. In the eyes of foreign partners, this also demonstrates how, under current circumstances, Indonesian leaders’ personal preferences can wield tremendous influence.
A’an further noted that if Prabowo continues making such hasty announcements, it will erode trust in him among both foreign leaders and the Indonesian public.
“The president’s directives should be carefully planned and reviewed for feasibility, with regular reassessment, and rewards and penalties for implementers. These procedures give credibility to presidential instructions. Conversely, failing to observe such protocols will result in the president being seen as poorly planned or unprofessional.”