Revitalizing literature in schools<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
A great many people have been complaining about the chaos
\nsurrounding the teaching of literature in our schools, but only
\na few of them have actually been doing anything to remedy the
\nsituation, people like renowned poet Taufiq Ismail.<\/p>\n
The 68-year-old poet has won commendations for his efforts to
\nimprove the teaching of literature. Last week, he received an
\nhonorary doctorate degree from Yogyakarta State University (UNY)
\nfor his efforts.<\/p>\n
Born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, on June 25, 1935, Taufik is
\na veterinarian by training. He has been campaigning for reform in
\nthe teaching of literature since 1962.<\/p>\n
In the early 1990s he had to quit his studies at the American
\nUniversity's Language and Literature School in Cairo, Egypt, due
\nto the Gulf War.<\/p>\n
Now a senior editor of Horison literary monthly, Taufiq says
\nthat literature has been \"marginalized\" in the Indonesian school
\ncurriculum and the public has largely lost interest in it.<\/p>\n
He believes that the root of the problem is the lack of
\nassignments on literature for students, and the fact that
\nliterature receives an insignificant time allotment compared to
\nother subjects.<\/p>\n
\"Literature teaching in our high schools has been set aside in
\nfavor of grammar,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He reckons that during the Dutch colonial times, a student was
\nassigned an average of 25 literary works to read in the course of
\nhis three years in high school, or Algemeene Middelbare School
\n(AMS) as high school was known then.<\/p>\n
\"Today, the number has dropped to zero,\" Taufiq said in his
\nacceptance address.<\/p>\n
Similarly, written assignments have plummeted from 36 a year
\nduring under the AMS system to six in today's high schools.<\/p>\n
\"High school students nowadays are simply taught knowledge
\nabout literature but not how to enjoy the pleasure of reading
\nliterary works,\" Taufiq said, quoting a survey he conducted in
\n1997 involving students in 13 countries.<\/p>\n
The survey, which was part of his study into whether
\nIndonesians were suffering from \"reading myopia\" and \"writing
\nlameness\", revealed that when finishing their four years of study
\nin high school, students in the U.S. had read 4,824 pages of
\nliterary works, while students in Malaysia had written 2,016
\nquarto-sized pages upon finishing high school.<\/p>\n
\"The essence of literature teaching -- reading works of
\nliterature -- has been missing here for over 60 years, or since
\nthe last graduates of the AMS system emerged in 1942,\" said
\nTaufiq, who was fired as a civil servant in 1964 for signing the
\nManifesto Kebudayaan, a cultural petition critical of the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
He said that until 60 years ago, the quality of Indonesian
\nstudents from the AMS was on a par with that of high school
\nstudents in the U.S. and Europe today.<\/p>\n
Taufik insisted that Indonesia should change the way it looks
\nat how schools should teach literature.<\/p>\n
\"We have been very, very late in diagnosing the disease and
\nhave also been very, very, very late in providing the therapy,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The findings of the survey managed to convince then minister
\nof education and culture Wardiman Djojonegoro of the need for a
\nnew paradigm in the teaching of literature.<\/p>\n
The new paradigm basically involved making the reading of
\nliterature a pleasure; obliging students to read the complete
\nwork -- not just excerpts. Promoting good writing and knowledge
\nabout literature was the second priority.<\/p>\n
Through Horison, Taufik proposed an action plan aimed at
\nimproving public appreciation of literature to be implemented
\nbetween 1996 and 2004.<\/p>\n
The plan includes the distribution of a Horison supplement
\ncalled Kakilangit that features the works and biographies of
\nleading writers. As part of the action plan, 9,000 copies of
\nHorison's 12,000 monthly print run are distributed to 4,500
\nstate-run high schools across Indonesia at the government's
\nexpense.<\/p>\n
Other programs involve the holding of workshops on reading,
\nwriting and understanding literature for teachers, as well as a
\nwriting contest for high school teachers.<\/p>\n
\"We also established 12 workshops titled Sanggar Sastra Siswa
\nIndonesia (Indonesian Students Workshop) in 2002 in 12 cities,\"
\nsaid Taufiq.<\/p>\n
Many of Taufiq's poems have been sung by famous singers, such
\nas Bimbo Group, Chrisye and Ian Antono. He has been the recipient
\nnumerous awards, including the Art Award from the Indonesian
\ngovernment (1970), Cultural Visit Award from the Australian
\ngovernment (1977), South East Asia Write Award from the Kingdom
\nof Thailand (1994), and the Poet of Nusantara Award from Johor
\nState, Malaysia (1999).<\/p>\n
Taufik says his campaign to promote literature in schools has
\nbrought about encouraging results although it will require more
\nconcerted efforts to make the dream come true.<\/p>\n
\"Hopefully, our children in the future will no longer
\nsuffer from reading myopia and writing lameness like
\ntheir parents,\" said Taufiq.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/revitalizing-literature-in-schools-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}