1. Language Education in Australia

The language education system in Australia covers English, Indigenous languages, and community languages, with Chinese being the latter. Language education institutions include standard primary and secondary schools, language schools, and universities. The article outlines the development path of Chinese education during the Australian colonial period, assimilation period, multicultural period, and Asian language priority period, and analyzes the factors that influenced the development of Chinese education in each period.

The Development and Influencing Factors of Chinese Education in Australia during the Colonial Period (1788-1901)

During the colonial period, English was the main language of education in Australia. After the discovery of gold mines in the 1850s, a multilingual society was formed, and bilingual schools such as German and English emerged. Chinese people were one of the earliest immigrants, with a large number of Chinese speakers, but were unable to establish Chinese language schools. In the 1880s, the Education Law stipulated that English was the primary language of instruction. In 1901, the White Australia Policy restricted the development of non English speaking schools, and bilingual schools were forced to close. The reasons why Chinese education did not emerge: 1) The colonial government discriminated against and suppressed Chinese people, and European immigrants enjoyed more rights; 2) Chinese people have a low social status, struggle to survive, and have no time to focus on education.

The Development and Influencing Factors of Chinese Education in Australia during the Assimilation Period (1901-1970)

During the assimilation period from 1901 to 1970, Australia implemented the White Australia policy and immigration assimilation policy, restricting language education for immigrants, but Chinese education first appeared in Australia. At the beginning of the 20th century, Chinese immigrants and organizations in Australia established Chinese schools in the fields of basic and higher education, such as the 1909 Melbourne Chinese Evening School. These schools are small in scale and mainly offer evening classes, teaching Chinese, history, culture, etc. However, due to policy restrictions and insufficient resources, most of them have not been able to sustain their operations. After World War II, with the establishment of the People's Republic of China and the relaxation of immigration policies, Chinese schools reappeared, and primary, secondary, and private schools began to offer Chinese courses, but the number of courses did not increase significantly. In the 1950s, Australian universities began offering Chinese language courses, such as the Royal Australian Air Force Academy in 1950 and the University College Canberra in 1953. The emergence of Chinese education is mainly influenced by three factors: first, the efforts of Chinese people in Australia to inherit Chinese culture; Secondly, the education policies of the Qing and Republic governments encouraged overseas Chinese to establish Chinese schools; Thirdly, the Australian government has introduced Chinese language courses in higher education due to geopolitical and national security considerations.

The Development and Influencing Factors of Chinese Education during the Multicultural Era (1970-1990)

In the 1970s, Australia abolished the White Australia Policy and introduced a multicultural policy, marking the first major development of Chinese education. The number of Chinese language courses offered in primary and secondary schools in the field of basic education has surged, and the number of primary and secondary school students learning Chinese has grown rapidly, especially in the primary school stage. From 1988 to 1991, the number of registered Chinese language courses in primary and secondary schools doubled, and the number of students learning Chinese in primary school increased significantly. During the same period, many Chinese community language schools emerged in Australia, mainly established with self raised funds by Chinese people. The number of Chinese courses offered in universities has increased, the number of students has grown, and the course content is becoming more diversified and practical. The main driving factors for the development of Chinese education in the multicultural era include the direct promotion of Australian national policies and language policies, as well as the improvement of Sino Australian relations. The Australian government has incorporated Chinese into the national education system, adjusted language policies, made Chinese a subject in the college entrance examination, and elevated the status of Chinese education. The National Language Policy prioritizes the development of Chinese language and establishes the position of Mandarin Chinese in language education in Australia. After the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Australia, the relationship between the two countries has been good, providing a solid foundation for the development of Chinese education.

The flourishing development and influencing factors of Chinese education during the Asian language priority period (1990 present)

Since 1990, Chinese education in Australia has experienced significant growth, with schools offering an increasing number of Chinese courses and learners. In 2005, Chinese became one of the most widely spoken community languages in Australian primary and secondary schools, and in 2015 it surpassed German to become the fifth largest community language. By 2018, Chinese language courses were offered in schools in all states and territories. From 1991 to 2016, the number of students learning Chinese increased from 25500 to 172878, accounting for 4.6% of the total number of students. The number of Chinese language learners in public schools in Victoria increased from 13088 in 2001 to 91412 in 2020, an increase of approximately seven times. The number and number of Chinese language schools in Australian community language schools have also significantly increased, with 108 Chinese community language schools and 27476 registered students by 2022. Distance Chinese education and higher education Chinese courses in Australia have also continued to grow, but after the government stopped funding support, some Chinese language programs in universities were closed, and the number of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms decreased, which had a negative impact on Chinese education.

6 Conclusion

Chinese education in Australia originated in the early 20th century, initially established spontaneously by Chinese people to inherit Chinese culture. After World War II, Chinese schools restarted and, after more than a hundred years of development, have become an important component of the national education system. Chinese language education in Australian universities began in 1950, mainly serving the national economic interests and meeting the needs of Chinese immigrants. In the 1980s, after the implementation of multicultural policies, Chinese was included in the national education system and became the fifth most studied language in primary and secondary schools. The development of Chinese education is driven by three major factors: Chinese people, policies, and demand. Although there may be uncertain factors in the future, the overall positive factors are stable, and it is expected that Chinese education will continue to develop positively.