Indonesia
Society
Some parents believe the extra French lesson in school may help improve their children’s competitiveness in the global market, but educators have raised concerns whether the country’s education system is ready to introduce another foreign language in the curriculum.
Schoolchildren pose with small Indonesian and French flags on May 28, 2025, while waiting to greet a motorcade carrying French President Emmanuel Macron at the National Monument (Monas) complex in Jakarta during his state visit to Indonesia. (Courtesy of Presidential Secretariat/-)
President Prabowo Subianto’s push to introduce French lessons in Indonesian schools was welcomed by some parents but drew criticism from education watchdogs who questioned the readiness to expand foreign language education amid persisting issues in the education sector.Anna, a mother of a 7-year-old in Depok, West Java, supported the plan as she sees any ability to speak foreign languages as an “intangible asset”, although questioned why French was chosen over other languages.
