In the second article in this series of articles that is looking at Japan literacy in Australia and the level of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), I looked at the history of the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan (whether the educational institution in question had been diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people in nature), and the role that the history of the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan had played in the development of Japan literacy that had existed among the general Australian populace, with this being most pronounced among older Australians. As had been discussed in much detail in both the first and second articles in this series of articles, when it comes to the history of the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan and how this had impacted the level of Japan literacy that had existed among members of the general Australian populace, It is important to understand the history of the various relationships that had existed between what is now the Commonwealth of Australia and the constituent nation-states and territories had often been fraught with tension, and that this had led to a strong level of reluctance among members of the general Australian populace to develop a level of Asia literacy (and in particular a level of Japan literacy) in order to better prepare themselves for both the challenges, as well as the opportunities, that had been presented by both the “Asian Century” and the rise of Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories.

When it comes to the various relationships that had existed between Australia and the constituent nation-states and territories of Asia (and in particular the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan), the development of Asia literacy (and in particular the development of Japan literacy) among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) has become more important than ever, and this had been largely due to the rise of Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories. However, while Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories (as well as the development of Asia literacy that exist among the general Australian populace) had become more important to Australia – especially in regards to the rise of Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories – in recent years, despite the focus of governments that had been located across all three levels of the Australian political system (and in particular governments that had been located at both the states and federal levels of the Australian political system) on both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular the teaching and the study of the four Asian languages other than English that were identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper) in order to increase the level of Asia literacy (and in particular the level of Japan literacy) among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) in order to better prepare them for both the challenges, as well as the opportunities, that had been presented by both the “Asian Century” and the rise of Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories, in recent years, governments at all three levels of the Australian political system, and in particular governments that had been located at both the state and federal levels of the Australian political system, had begun to place a stronger emphasis on both the teaching, as well as the study, of subjects that are in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study at the expense of the teaching and the study of Asia and Asian languages other than English at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system.

When it comes to the education policy of governments that had been located at both the states and territories of the Australian education system, while there had been a large focus being paid to both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular the four Asian languages other than English that had been identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper that was released in October 2012 by the Australian Federal Government, which, at the time was led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard who was the leader of the centre-left Australian Labor Party which was in power at the federal level of the Australian political system) in recent decades in order to better prepare students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system for both the challenges, as well as the opportunities, that had been presented by the “Asian Century” and the rise of Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories; but in recent years, there had been a strong emphasis on the teaching, as well as the study, of subjects that are in the STEM fields of study at the expense of the teaching and the study of Asia and Asian languages other than English. In this regard, an argument could be made that this switch from the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular the four Asian languages other than English that had been identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper) to the focus being paid to the teaching and the study of subjects that are in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study is in stark contrast to previous policies that had emanated from governments that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system.

As had been discussed in the second article in this series of articles that is looking at Japan literacy in Australia and the level of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace (and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system, whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), when it comes to the level of Japan literacy that exist among the general Australian populace, the history of the various relationships that had existed between Australia and Japan (whether the relationship in question had been diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people in nature) has had ramifications for the level of Japan literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of Japan literacy that exist among the older members of the general Australian populace. However, it could also be argued that this could also impact the level of Japan literacy that exist among students who had been undertaking study at educational institutions that had been located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question had been located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), and it is this that will be looked at in this third article in this series of articles that will be looking at Japan literacy in Australia and the level of Japan literacy that exist among the general Australian populace.

You can view the entire article on my website at bhiskins.wordpress.com/2026/09…