French in the Indonesian Education Curriculum

On 28 May 2026, at the Élysée Palace in Paris, President Prabowo Subianto officially declared that French must be taught at all levels of Indonesian schools. During his meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, he stated, “Now, I have instructed that all levels of Indonesian schools must learn French, considering the future development of the world.” This announcement marks a significant diplomatic and educational initiative, contrasting with his earlier statement on Portuguese, delivered on 23 October 2025 in Jakarta while hosting President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, which remains a proposal without concrete follow-up.

In an era of unceasing and dynamic globalisation, proficiency in a foreign language is no longer merely an added advantage — it has become a strategic imperative. Indonesia, as the world's largest archipelagic nation with a population of over 270 million, faces remarkable challenges and opportunities in navigating the complexities of global affairs. One of the increasingly pertinent debates concerns the systematic teaching of French in Indonesian schools, from secondary level through to higher education.

Bahasa Indonesia, as the language of national unity born from the spirit of the Youth Pledge of 1928, stands as the primary pillar of national identity. It is far more than a mere instrument of communication — it is a symbol of sovereignty, diversity, and the social cohesion of the nation. Accordingly, any discourse on the introduction of foreign languages must be firmly framed: a foreign language is a strategic supplement, not a replacement or rival to Bahasa Indonesia.

This essay aims to analyse the multidimensional advantages that Indonesian pupils and society at large may gain should French be integrated into the school curriculum. The analysis is conducted through five principal perspectives—ideological, political, economic, social, and cultural—and is complemented by a comparative examination of French against other foreign languages of global prominence.

 

II. IDEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

A. Bahasa Indonesia as a Symbol of National Unity

Ideologically, Bahasa Indonesia occupies an unrivalled position as the binding force of the nation. In a country that is home to over 700 regional languages, Bahasa Indonesia serves as a bridge of communication across ethnic groups, regions, and generations. The Pancasila ideology and the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika—Unity in Diversity—render Bahasa Indonesia a sacred instrument of national cohesion. It follows, therefore, that any policy on foreign language instruction must be designed in such a manner that it neither displaces nor weakens the standing of Bahasa Indonesia.

 

B. French as a Strategic Supplement

Within a sound ideological framework, French may be positioned as an enriching supplement rather than a threat. Mastery of French broadens the intellectual horizons of Indonesian pupils by granting direct access to the legacy of European Enlightenment thought, existentialist philosophy, and a rich scientific tradition. French is also the language of the global intelligentsia, having produced great thinkers such as Descartes, Voltaire, Rousseau, Sartre, and Camus—figures whose ideas helped shape modern civilisation.

 

C. National Ideology: Nationalism and Global Openness

Indonesia's national ideology need not be inward-looking or defensive. A mature nationalism is, in fact, characterised by the capacity to engage openly with the world without losing one's sense of self. This may be termed "open nationalism"—a paradigm in which the strengthening of domestic identity proceeds hand in hand with active participation in the global community. In this context, learning French is an expression of confident nationalism: a strong nation can engage in dialogue with the world in multiple languages.

 

III. POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE

A. Indonesia–France Diplomatic Relations

From a political standpoint, bilateral relations between Indonesia and France have grown considerably stronger over recent decades. France is a strategic partner to Indonesia across numerous fields, including defence, aerospace technology, civilian nuclear energy, and infrastructure. The agreement to purchase Rafale fighter jets, worth billions of euros, reflects the depth of the strategic partnership between the two nations. In this context, the availability of French-speaking Indonesian human resources becomes a genuine and pressing diplomatic necessity.

 

B. The Role of French in International Organisations

French is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and a working language of numerous prestigious multilateral institutions, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), NATO, the European Union, the International Court of Justice, UNESCO, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Indonesian diplomats who are proficient in French gain a significant competitive advantage in international negotiations, access to diplomatic documents, and the ability to build broader professional networks across nations.

 

C. Bahasa Indonesia in National Policy

Politically, it is important to affirm that a policy of French language instruction must be positioned as complementary to Bahasa Indonesia. Law Number 24 of 2009 on the National Flag, Language, and Emblem has mandated that Bahasa Indonesia must be used in all official state affairs, formal education, and public documents. French, therefore, serves only as an additional competency that broadens the nation's diplomatic capacity—it is not a threat to the supremacy of Bahasa Indonesia in the governance of the state.

 

IV. ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

A. Investment, Trade, and Technology Opportunities

Economically, proficiency in French opens the door to one of the world's largest economies. France is the seventh-largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and is home to leading multinational corporations such as TotalEnergies, Airbus, L'Oréal, LVMH, Michelin, Schneider Electric, and Renault. Furthermore, la Francophonie—the community of French-speaking nations—encompasses 29 countries across the globe, including regions of Africa that are experiencing rapid economic growth. For Indonesia, which is actively expanding its export markets and attracting foreign investment, the ability to communicate in French is an economic asset of incalculable worth.

 

B. Access to Scholarships and Higher Education in France

France consistently ranks among the most sought-after international study destinations in the world, with tuition fees that are relatively affordable compared to those in the United States or the United Kingdom, owing largely to government subsidies. Scholarship programmes such as Campus France and various Erasmus+ initiatives present extraordinary opportunities for Indonesian students. With a command of French, Indonesian pupils gain access to prestigious universities such as the Sorbonne, École Polytechnique, HEC Paris, and Sciences Po—institutions that have produced world leaders and renowned scholars.

 

C. The Competitiveness of Indonesia's Workforce

In an increasingly competitive global labour market, proficiency in French significantly enhances the professional value of Indonesian workers. French multinational companies operating in Indonesia, the tourism industry serving Francophone visitors, and international organisations based in French-speaking Africa all require linguistically competent personnel. French language ability is also frequently combined with technical expertise to create highly sought-after and exceptionally valuable professional profiles.

 

V. SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE

A. Social Mobility Through Foreign Language Proficiency

From a social perspective, foreign language proficiency has been empirically demonstrated to be one of the key factors in social mobility. Individuals who command more than one foreign language generally enjoy broader access to educational opportunities, employment, and social networks. In Indonesian society, which continues to grapple with socio-economic inequality, proficiency in French can serve as an equaliser—an instrument for the democratisation of opportunity, enabling individuals from diverse backgrounds to advance and prosper.

 

B. The Global Francophone Network

The global Francophone community comprises over 321 million speakers spread across five continents. Joining this community affords access to an extensive social, professional, and intellectual network. International Francophone forums, film festivals, academic congresses, and French-language media platforms create a rich space for the exchange of ideas. Indonesian pupils who are fluent in French can participate actively in this global ecosystem, broaden their perspectives, and bring fresh insights back to Indonesia.

 

C. Bahasa Indonesia as the Primary Language of Communication

It is essential to underline that the acquisition of French will not, and should not, displace Bahasa Indonesia as the primary medium of communication in the everyday social life of Indonesian society. Bahasa Indonesia will continue to function as the language of the home, the community, and democracy itself. French is merely one layer of the linguistic competence possessed by an educated Indonesian citizen—a skill activated in specific contexts without replacing the fundamental loyalty to the national mother tongue.

 

VI. CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

A. Insights into the World's Art, Literature, and Philosophy

Culturally, French is a window onto one of the richest intellectual and artistic traditions in human history. French literature has produced more Nobel laureates from a single country than any other, with names such as Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Samuel Beckett (who wrote principally in French), and Annie Ernaux. In the visual arts, the Impressionist movement, born in France, transformed the way in which humankind perceives the world. In music, France gave rise to the distinctive and enduring tradition of the chanson. Accessing this wealth of culture in its original language affords a depth of appreciation that cannot be achieved through translation alone.

 

B. Cross-Cultural Appreciation

Learning French does not merely open a door to French culture alone, but to the entire spectrum of the diverse Francophone world—from the cultures of the Maghreb in North Africa to the dynamic societies of sub-Saharan Africa, from the unique traditions of Québec in North America to the exotic cultures of the Pacific islands. This diversity fosters the development of empathy, tolerance, and an appreciation of difference—values that are entirely consonant with the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika that underpins Indonesian national life.

 

C. The Synergy of Local and Global Culture

Within the paradigm of glocalisation—the integration of globalisation and localisation—proficiency in French can serve as a vehicle for showcasing the richness of Indonesian culture on the world stage. Indonesian artists, writers, and cultural practitioners who command French can directly promote batik, gamelan, wayang, the Nusantara culinary tradition, and other forms of local cultural heritage to the global Francophone community. This is not cultural subordination—it is an equal and mutually beneficial cultural dialogue.

 

VII. A STRATEGIC COMPARISON OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

In order to assess the relative advantages of French, an honest comparative analysis of other foreign languages of potential relevance to Indonesia is required:

 

A. French

• An official language in 29 countries across five continents, spoken by over 321 million people.
• An official working language of the United Nations, WTO, NATO, IOC, the International Court of Justice, and the European Union.
• An unrivalled force in culture, diplomacy, and academia on the global stage.
• Access to a scholarship ecosystem, research opportunities, and quality higher education at a relatively affordable cost.

B. Dutch

Dutch holds historical relevance for Indonesia given over three centuries of colonial rule. However, its global reach is severely limited — it is spoken in the Netherlands, Belgium (alongside French and German), and a few small Caribbean territories. Its relevance in multilateral diplomacy, global business, and world culture is considerably smaller than that of French. There is also a psychological dimension to consider: requiring Indonesian pupils to learn the language of their former colonisers may engender a counter-productive resistance rooted in national identity.

 

C. Mandarin Chinese

Mandarin Chinese is the language with the greatest number of native speakers in the world and is of considerable importance in the context of Indonesia's deepening economic relationship with China. However, the highly complex system of Chinese characters (hanzi) makes the learning process far more lengthy and intensive—requiring two to three times longer than a European language to achieve equivalent proficiency. Mandarin also plays a very limited role in multilateral diplomatic forums and international institutions outside the Asia-Pacific region.

 

D. Russian

Russian holds relevance in the fields of energy, space technology, and military studies. As an official language of the United Nations, it also carries diplomatic weight. However, its global reach is largely confined to the Eurasian region and the former Soviet states. The current geopolitical situation, which has placed Russia in an increasingly isolated position at many international forums, further limits the practical utility of Russian beyond specific contexts. Compared to French, Russian offers a considerably narrower cultural and diplomatic network for Indonesia's younger generation.

 

E. Spanish

Spanish is a widely spoken language that is relatively straightforward to learn, particularly for speakers of other Romance languages. With over 580 million speakers worldwide, primarily in Latin America, Spanish commands considerable market potential. Strategically, however, Indonesia's bilateral relations with Spanish-speaking nations remain relatively limited compared to those with France. The role of Spanish in the multilateral organisations most relevant to Indonesia is also smaller. Nonetheless, Spanish remains an attractive option as a third or fourth language, to be learnt after Bahasa Indonesia, English, and French.

 

F. Arabic

Arabic carries profound significance for Indonesia as the country with the world's largest Muslim population. Its relevance is multidimensional: religious (as the language of the Qur'an and classical Islamic literature), economic (trade with Middle Eastern nations), and demographic (migrant workers in the Gulf region). However, in the context of multilateral diplomacy, technology, and access to international higher education, Arabic's role remains more limited than that of French. Arabic also employs a script that differs from the Latin alphabet, adding a further challenge to the learning process.

 

G. Comparative Analysis: Why French Stands Out

Based on the comparative analysis above, French emerges as the most strategically superior choice, offering an optimal balance across four dimensions: (1) recognised global diplomatic weight within the most important multilateral institutions; (2) economic leverage through access to Francophone markets and French multinational corporations; (3) the depth of a rich cultural and intellectual heritage; and (4) relatively favourable learnability, given its use of the Latin alphabet and the numerous loanwords that have entered Bahasa Indonesia via Dutch and English. No other language simultaneously meets all four of these criteria to a comparable degree of excellence.

French has been adopted as either an official language or a recognised second language in a wide range of countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. In Europe, it is the principal language of France and Monaco, and it shares official status in Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. In Africa, it serves as the administrative and educational language in numerous states such as Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gabon, among many others, where it functions as a lingua franca despite the diversity of local tongues. In the Americas, French is co‑official in Canada, particularly in Quebec and New Brunswick, and it is also spoken in Haiti alongside Haitian Creole. In Oceania, Vanuatu recognises French as one of its three official languages, and several Pacific territories under French administration continue to use it extensively. Although countries such as Vietnam no longer accord French official status, it remains a respected second language in education and diplomacy. Altogether, French is spoken by around three hundred million people worldwide, the majority of whom use it as a second language, and it continues to be valued as a medium of international communication, culture, and diplomacy.

 

VIII. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

On the basis of a comprehensive analysis from ideological, political, economic, social, and cultural perspectives, as well as a comparative examination of other foreign languages, it may be concluded that the teaching of French in Indonesian schools offers genuine and multidimensional strategic advantages. French is not merely a language of communication — it is a key that unlocks access to global diplomatic networks, world-class educational ecosystems, priceless intellectual and artistic heritage, and extensive economic opportunities.

These advantages, however, can only be realised optimally within an appropriate framework: Bahasa Indonesia must remain the core of national identity, the principal language of formal education, and the firm foundation of all national language policy. French is present as an enriching supplement—not as a threat that supplants.

This essay therefore recommends that the Indonesian government formulate a balanced and carefully planned bilingual policy, with the following measures:

• Strengthen the teaching of Bahasa Indonesia as an unshakeable foundation at all levels of education, including through the revitalisation of Indonesian literature and the appreciation of regional languages as cultural treasures.
• Integrate French as an elective subject or specialist programme at the senior secondary (SMA) and vocational secondary (SMK) levels, particularly within streams related to international relations, tourism, and global business.
• Build strategic partnerships with institutions such as the Institut Français d'Indonésie (IFI) and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) to support teacher training, curriculum development, and student exchange programmes.
• Ensure that the French language policy does not divert the allocation of resources and attention that ought to be devoted to strengthening Bahasa Indonesia and to the preservation of regional languages as the nation's invaluable cultural heritage.

Ultimately, the vision to be realised is the cultivation of a generation of Indonesians who stand firmly rooted in a strong national identity, whilst at the same time being able to reach out and contribute to the world with full confidence—including through the mastery of French as one of the vehicles for their global engagement. This is not a choice between nationalism and cosmopolitanism; it is a synthesis of both, embodied in the figure of an Indonesian citizen who is whole, intelligent, and empowered.

To conclude this essay, Indila’s “Love Story” stands as a symbol of harmony between language, culture, and human emotion that transcends borders. Through its gentle melody and evocative lyrics, the song reminds us that language is not merely a tool of communication but a bridge of feeling and understanding between nations—much like the growing connection between Indonesia and France.

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Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 24 of 2009 on the National Flag, Language, Emblem, and Anthem.

Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 20 of 2003 on the National Education System.

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