University of Tasmania proposal to cut Indonesian language program labelled ‘shortsighted’

The University of Tasmania’s proposal to axe one of its language courses has angered a long-running not-for-profit, which has described the move as “strategically incoherent”.

The University of Tasmania is under fire for proposing to cut its Indonesian language program. Picture: Richard Jupe

The University of Tasmania’s move to cut its Indonesian language program amid plummeting enrolments has been described as “shortsighted” and “strategically incoherent” by a long-running provider of study tours to the South-East Asian country.

UTAS is proposing to axe 13 full-time staff through targeted and voluntary redundancies as part of a significant restructure of its humanities, social sciences, creative arts, and media schools, with student numbers continuing to fall.

The proposal from management involves a reduction in course offerings, a merger of the schools of Humanities and Social Sciences and the separation of the School of Creative Arts and Media into a re-established Conservatorium of Music and a new School of Creative and Performing Arts.

Liam Prince, ACICIS consortium director. Picture: ACICIS

The university’s Indonesian course is also on the chopping block, and the Mercury understands one associated staff position is proposed to be cut.

The Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS), a national group of Australian universities delivering study tours and internships in Indonesia, has hit out at UTAS’s move to scrap the language course.

ACICIS director Liam Prince urged the university to abandon the proposal, which he said directly contradicted the federal government’s commitment to deepening diplomatic ties with countries in the Pacific region.

“Prime Minister Albanese has just returned from Jakarta reaffirming Australia’s long-term commitment to Indonesia as a strategic partner,” he said.

“Yet back home, one of our public universities is preparing to shut down the state’s only Indonesian language program. The disconnect could not be starker.”

Mr Prince said the decision would “further weaken Australia’s already fragile national infrastructure for engaging with our most important neighbour”, adding that UTAS was one of only 13 universities in the country still teaching Indonesian and enrolments in South-East Asian languages in higher education had fallen by almost 75 per cent since 2001.

“This decision is not just shortsighted – it’s strategically incoherent,” Mr Prince said.

“At a time when the Australian government is urging national co-ordination to strengthen South-East Asia literacy, UTAS is walking away from its only pathway for students to engage meaningfully with the region.”

Professor Lisa Fletcher, UTAS interim academic lead for the College of Arts, Law and Education. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

UTAS interim academic lead for the College of Arts, Law and Education, Professor Lisa Fletcher, said the university was “committed” to teaching languages but “a decline in our enrolments means it is not viable to teach all the languages we currently offer”.

It’s understood just five students are currently studying Indonesian at UTAS across all year levels.

“The study of languages has been in steady decline in schools and at universities across Australia, as well as in the US and UK,” Prof Fletcher said.

“We are committing to partnering with the Tasmanian education sector and community to design a sustainable integrated model of language teaching in Tasmania.”

According to Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification figures, only 3.9 per cent of Year 12 students studied pre-tertiary languages in 2023, which was down from 5.2 per cent in 2019. Indonesian is not offered as a pre-tertiary language subject in the state.

Originally published as University of Tasmania proposal to cut Indonesian language program labelled ‘shortsighted’