Learning Area Update
14 February
French and Indonesian are the two Languages other than English that are offered here at Damascus College. Both are truly international languages, with Indonesian emerging just recently as being declared one of the ten official language of UNESCO. Of course, French has already been deeply entrenched as a top global language for centuries. It is hoped that students continue their studies in language beyond the compulsory years and take their language study on as elective beyond Year 9.
Historically, students who have graduated with language all the way to VCE have been truly top students, both academically as well as outside of the classroom. The VCE class of 2023 is to be congratulated upon their success; and eleven students completed VCE French or Indonesian. Out of six students of French, half the class scored study scores of 40 or above, which is a magnificent effort. I congratulate in particular, Madame Alysoun Smalley, for her expertise at teaching the Year 12s in 2023, with all the other teachers of both languages who have shaped the students’ journeys over the years.
Something big that is happening in Indonesia at the moment…
INDONESIA’S MASSIVE 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS
Indonesians are going to the polls on February 14 in what is dubbed a “festival of democracy”. They will be choosing not only a new president and vice president but also parliamentary and local representatives in the world’s largest single-day election.
More than 204 million of Indonesia’s 270 million people are registered to vote, and while voting is not compulsory, election day is a public holiday so turnout is generally high. There are 18 national political parties across Indonesia, with 575 parliamentary seats up for grabs.
Who are the key candidates?
The current Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, has already served the maximum two five-year terms in office, so this year’s election will mark the first change in leadership in 10 years. The three candidates for the new presidency are:
What are the key issues in these elections?
Basically: cost of living, employment and human rights.
As in many countries around the world, Indonesians’ main concern is the cost of living and being able to provide for themselves and their families. Economic growth has slowed in 2023 compared to the year before, mostly as a result of weak exports and lower commodity prices.
With people under 40 making up about half the total number of registered voters, employment is a key concern. The unemployment rate has been increasing again. In August 2023 it was at 5.32 percent.
Other issues include human rights and democratic decline in Indonesia, with student protests flaring across university campuses in recent weeks as staff and students at some of Indonesia’s largest and most prominent universities have spoken out about the need for fair and transparent elections.
What happens on Election Day 14 February?
Any Indonesian citizen who is 17 or older can vote. All voters will be given five different ballot papers to choose presidential and vice presidential candidates, as well as representatives at national, provincial, regional, and regency and city levels. Depending on the area, some polling stations are likely to see long queues as voters turn out early in an effort to escape the searing Indonesian heat that builds throughout the day. Once they have voted, every voter dips their little finger in indelible ink to guard against casting multiple votes. Members of the Indonesian police and the military are banned from voting.
What happens after 14 February?
Presidential candidates need 50 percent of the overall vote and at least 20 percent of votes in each province in order to claim victory. Political parties need four percent of the vote in order to enter parliament. For example, Prabowo who is leading the polls may not be able to claim an outright win in the first round. If no single candidate passes the 50 percent threshold, the top two candidate pairs will go into a second and final round on June 26.
The new president will be inaugurated in October. We might have to wait until then to find out!
Adapted from: Aljazeera News Service https://www.aljazeera.com