Commission X Urges Government to Study Proposal to Include French in Curriculum
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Lalu Hadrian Irfani, has requested the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to further examine the proposal to include the French language in the national education curriculum.
“The issue is that such a policy cannot be implemented instantly. We are asking the government to conduct a study and perform mapping,” said Lalu Hadrian at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday.
He noted that referring to President Prabowo Subianto’s statements during a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace in Paris, the teaching of French is to be expanded across all educational levels, including primary, junior high, and senior high schools. Consequently, he urged the government to clarify the plan, specifically whether it will be introduced as a compulsory or an elective subject.
However, he stressed that the plan cannot be realised abruptly. It requires in-depth research, including the mapping of teaching staff, learning materials, implementation schemes, and regulatory frameworks. “Please conduct a study and mapping to see how many French language graduates we currently have. Is the number of graduates sufficient for both public and private schools? Will this policy be implemented all at once or through stages? For instance, will it be designated for specific schools first, or must it be mandatory for schools across Indonesia?” he asked.
Lalu Hadrian stated that instructions to introduce new foreign languages in Indonesian educational units could have positive impacts regarding diplomacy and international cooperation. Nevertheless, the education legislator urged the government to remain focused on ongoing educational issues that remain unresolved.
“For example, the issue of teacher welfare continues to persist, including clusters of PPPK (Government Employees with Work Agreements) such as part-time and full-time PPPK, and so on. We ask the President to resolve this immediately; if necessary, he should summon the relevant ministers so that this can be settled quickly and not become a perennial problem,” he added.
Furthermore, he requested that the government consider long-term policies regarding foreign language instruction. He noted that the President had previously instructed the teaching of Portuguese when hosting Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last year.
“We must ensure this does not remain merely a discourse, a mere dream, or a diplomatic gesture without considering long-term policy. We will further strengthen this in the revision of Law Number 20 of 2003, ensuring that a change in president or minister does not result in a change in curriculum,” he said.
To discuss this proposal further, Commission X of the DPR RI will hold a meeting with the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, to ensure that teachers and the wider educational community are not left in a state of uncertainty.