On 23 October 2025, during a bilateral meeting between Prabowo Subianto and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, the Indonesian President announced that Portuguese will be introduced as a priority foreign language in the national education system.
He directed the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology to design the curriculum and to start Portuguese language instruction in schools and universities across Indonesia.
As Reported by ANTARA News, the proposal comes in the context of strengthening Indonesia’s bilateral ties with Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking nations.
Strategic Motivations
The decision signals that Indonesia views its relationship with Brazil and the broader Portuguese-speaking world as increasingly important. President Prabowo described the initiative as a “sign of how important Brazil is to us.”
With trade between the two nations having reached significant levels and cooperation expanding into science, technology and innovation, energy and resources, the addition of Portuguese may be intended to facilitate deeper diplomatic, economic and cultural ties.
Moreover, by placing Portuguese alongside other major foreign languages like English, Mandarin, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, French, German and Russian, the government is signaling a more ambitious multilingual education agenda.
Potential Benefits
Introducing Portuguese could offer Indonesian students a competitive edge in global engagement. Portuguese is the official language in nine countries and spoken by more than 260 million people worldwide, including in regions of Latin America and Africa.
For Indonesian students, gaining proficiency in Portuguese may open access to scholarship and study-abroad opportunities in Brazil, Portugal and beyond.
It may also enhance business and career opportunities, especially in sectors tied to Brazil-Indonesia cooperation such as agro-commodities, bioenergy and minerals. On a cultural level, learning Portuguese could broaden students’ global horizons and intercultural understanding.
Portuguese Words Are Already Used in Indonesia
Although this new policy might seem like a fresh linguistic venture, Portuguese has actually been part of Indonesia’s linguistic landscape for centuries.
Historical contact between the Portuguese and the Indonesian archipelago, particularly in the 16th century, left a number of Portuguese loanwords that have become fully integrated into the Indonesian language today.
Common examples include gereja (from the Portuguese igreja, meaning church), bendera (from bandeira, meaning flag), minggu (from domingo, meaning Sunday), and gratis (from grátis, meaning free of charge).
These words are so familiar to almost all Indonesians that many are unaware of their foreign origins.
This linguistic legacy reflects the early cultural exchanges that occurred during the era of maritime exploration and trade.
The Portuguese presence in regions like Malacca, the Moluccas, and parts of eastern Indonesia contributed not only to the spread of Christianity but also to the introduction of new vocabulary in trade, religion, and daily life.
Today, the reintroduction of Portuguese through formal education could be seen as a continuation of this historical connection, offering Indonesians a deeper understanding of their own linguistic heritage while strengthening modern diplomatic ties.
Challenges and Considerations Ahead
While the policy has legislative support—for example, a deputy chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives’ Commission X expressed backing for the move—there are caveats, as reported by VOI.
He emphasized that foreign language education must be implemented with careful planning, ensure relevance to students’ future needs, and maintain the priority of Indonesian and regional languages as part of national identity.
Some observers caution that adding another foreign-language subject will place additional burden on already crowded school curricula. Also, many schools may lack qualified Portuguese language teachers, instructional materials, or infrastructure to launch this program effectively.
There is also the question of how much demand will there be among students. Implementation logistics such as teacher training, curriculum adaptation, and assessment will require significant resources and coordination.
In summary, introducing Portuguese into the Indonesian school curriculum reflects a strategic foreign-policy and educational ambition. The success of the initiative will depend on thoughtful planning, resourcing, and alignment with student needs and national education priorities.
