FLUCTUATIONS IN LANGUAGE-IN-EDUCATION POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INDONESIA, 1901-2015

Abstract

The history of language in Indonesia since the beginning of the 20 th Century reveals numerous shifts - or fluctuations - in both policy and practice. These fluctuations can be traced in local languages, the national language and foreign languages. This paper, focusing on the domain of education, attempts to trace the constantly changing language environment in schools and higher education, although in fact these changes can be seen throughout society. Among the findings to emerge is the discovery that national policy has sometimes been challenged by external pressures. At other times, however, challenges to national policy have come from internal sources in the form of inconsistent regulations issued by government itself. Another finding is that while the national language has been given priority over local languages – thus weakening the local languages – the national language itself is threatened by international languages (especially English). Coleman (2016) has likened this to a voracious naga (representing English) devouring a smaller naga (Bahasa Indonesia), tail first. At the same time, the intermediate naga of Bahasa Indonesia is devouring the even smaller naga of the local languages, apparently unaware that it is itself being devoured by English. The paper concludes by looking for evidence of grass roots resistance to some of these gloomy phenomena.