President Prabowo Subianto mandated French language study for Indonesian students, following a previous mandate for Portuguese.
Lawmakers and educational experts are questioning the relevance and timing of adding new languages to an already dense curriculum.
Recent PISA and local TKA data highlight a critical need for improvement in basic reading literacy and core subjects among Indonesian students.
Critics argue that strengthening existing literacy in Bahasa Indonesia and English should take precedence over adding new foreign language requirements.