PDIP Legislator Advises on Foreign Language Education in Schools

Member of DPR Commission X Bonnie Triyana has advised that education policies, particularly regarding foreign language lessons, should not be implemented solely due to national diplomatic needs. He stated that education policies must be based on practical needs and tangible benefits.

He said President Prabowo Subianto’s directive for Indonesian schools to teach French is not wrong per se, but policies must consider infrastructure and resource readiness.

“At present, schools should focus on major foreign languages, particularly English, given its status as the global lingua franca,” Bonnie said when contacted on Sunday, 31 May 2026.

Bonnie and the PDIP faction in DPR Commission X do not oppose foreign language education in schools. After all, the nation’s founding generation also studied foreign languages, including French.

However, he noted that infrastructure and resources must be the government’s primary consideration when implementing education policies.

“The question is whether there are sufficient French speakers and teachers to cover all schools,” Bonnie said.

Moreover, he reminded that French and Portuguese, previously mentioned by the president for Indonesian schools, are not globally dominant languages in terms of usage capacity.

In academic circles, he noted, English is predominantly used in scholarly journals worldwide.

“Most importantly, this idea should not be materialised into action merely for the sake of superficial diplomacy,” Bonnie added.

On Thursday, 28 May, during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris, Prabowo stated that Indonesian schools at all levels should teach French.

The president said Indonesia’s close bilateral ties with France are due to Macron’s direct support. He expressed confidence that both nations can play a positive role in the current global geopolitical climate of uncertainty, tensions, and conflicts.

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education stated it would review Prabowo’s directive. “We will study and follow up on the president’s guidance,” said Deputy Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Atip Latipulhayat when contacted on Friday, 29 May 2026.

Previously, Prabowo had instructed that Portuguese be taught in Indonesian schools during a bilateral meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on 23 October 2025.

At the time, Prabowo described Portuguese as a priority for foreign language education in Indonesia to strengthen ties with Brazil.