Trade and treaty partners; or friends and neighbours?

Indonesia's education system is in crisis. As an Al Jazeera 101-East programme revealed this year, more than half the teachers are underqualified and many don't always front for work.

The country is at the bottom of the Pearson Study of 40 nations' schools. Using aid money to bring top chalkies and administrators to Australia to learn how to teach, write syllabi and run schools would be far more beneficial than paying Indonesian contractors to plaster walls.

And why build schools when an estimated 150,000 classrooms are in urgent need of repair?

The BRIDGE project that helped open teenager Zulino's eyes to Aussie culture is a splendid initiative that pre-dates Ms Gillard's statement by four years. So far it has attracted less than 100 school partnerships. There are 9,500 schools in Australia.

We've been neighbors since Gondwanalandsplit. For much of that time we've viewed each other with suspicion laced with ignorance and travel warnings, inter-cut with moments of great generosity like our magnificent response to the Aceh tsunami and other natural disasters.

Suddenly we've heard that they've got money. That means they must need foods and goods. It's time to say hello, see what they want and how much they can pay.

Are these the foundations for a good and lasting relationship?

We want to join Asia but does Asia want us? I haven't heard anyone in Indonesia talking about the Australian Century. Hillary Clinton launched the Pacific Century a year ahead of Ms Gillard's statement.

The ideas in the 320-page White Paper are good. They are also too few and too limited. Maybe too late or poorly considered. Like expanding a scheme to allow 1,000 young Indonesians to wander and work in Australia for a year. Previously the number was 100. In addition there are 500 scholarships for the talented and smart to study in Australia.

Generous? Do the maths: Indonesia has 240 million people. About 44 per cent are under 24.

Uncapped Working Holiday Visas have been available for years for other, mainly European nationals, keen to go Down Under. What better way to learn of another culture by getting dirt under the fingernails, make friends alongside workmates, and build lasting contacts?