Reproduced with the kind permission of the copyright owner. Copyright: 2013, Australian Curriculum Studies Association SINCE ITS OFFICIAL INCEPTION in the early 1990s, the

through schooling has put an emphasis on the development of broad knowledge and language skills. Asia literacy has been largely understood as a skill-set that young Australians can draw upon in developing a regional and global mindset for their engagement with Asia. This notion of Asia literacy prioritises its epistemological foundation (i.e. knowing-about-ness) and does not pay due attention to the relational side of becoming Asia literate. As a result, the key Asia related policy documents, the Australian Curriculum and the models of profes-sional learning for teachers have little engagement with a form of ethics grounded in one’s ability to respond to both proximal and distant ‘others’ (Commonwealth of Australia, 2012; ACARA, 2011)