Kampung Indonesia: Is this the solution for increasing interest in learning Indonesian in Australia?

In Australia, interest in learning Indonesian has been waning. Many explanations have been offered including the impact of the pandemic. But interest in Indonesia and Indonesian is very strong in the New South Wales town of Scotts Head. Why?

The community of Scotts Head has managed to create an environment for the effective learning of Indonesian language and culture both in and beyond the classroom Source: 30 May 2021, courtesy Murtala.

Murtala is a choreographer and artistic director of Suara Indonesia Dance.  He lives with his family in Scotts Head.  In an interview with Sri Dean he explains why his family chose to live in Scotts Head, the history of teaching Indonesian at Scots Head as well as the diverse  reasons why the study of Indonesian continues to flourish there.  One reason stands out and could be a valuable guide for policy makers and teachers.

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Officials from the Indonesian Embassy travelled a long way to visit learners at Scotts Head Public School. Realistically, how important is their involvement? Source: 30 May 2021, courtesy Murtala.