'RI needs to promote' multicultural education<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A pluralist Indonesia should promote multicultural education in a
\nbid to nurture more tolerance among its some 215 million people,
\nan education expert said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"When we talk about multiculturalism, it does not only refer
\nto relations between nations but also ethnic groups. Indonesia is
\na country with hundreds of ethnic groups,\" H.A.R. Tilaar said.<\/p>\n
He was speaking at a press conference ahead of a two-day
\ninternational seminar on multicultural education from Sept. 7 to
\nSept. 8, which will be held at the Borobudur Hotel, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"By understanding the concept of multiculturalism, tolerance
\ncan be promoted so as to build a new, integrated national
\nidentity,\" Tilaar said.<\/p>\n
He said that young people needed to be taught
\nmulticulturalism.<\/p>\n
\"It should be incorporated into our education system so as to
\ncreate a multicultural generation that appreciates
\nmulticulturalism and is able to live with it,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Tilaar cited Australia as an example, saying that
\nmulticulturalism was not specifically taught as a subject in the
\nneighboring country.<\/p>\n
However, he added, the concept of multiculturalism had been
\nincorporated into Australia's education curriculum, which
\nproduced students with high levels of tolerance<\/p>\n
Tilaar said that currently Indonesia had no concept of
\nmulticultural education. \"We are now in a position where we are
\nonly beginning to realize that multiculturalism may be the way to
\nstrengthen our national identity.\"<\/p>\n
Tilaar, who has written many books on education, said that
\nIndonesia should begin by formulating its own concept of
\nmulticultural education for students, as other countries may have
\ndifferent concepts.<\/p>\n
\"Multicultural education itself is still relatively new. It
\nwas only started in the 1990s,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The education expert said that globalization had been forcing
\npeople around the world to reformulate their concepts of
\nnationalism, and global and local culture.<\/p>\n
\"Samuel P. Huntington in his book 'The Clash of Civilizations'
\nwarned us that cultures would become a big concern. Therefore,
\ngood understanding and tolerance are greatly needed,\" said
\nTilaar.<\/p>\n
Tolerance has been put to the test in Indonesia following
\nsectarian clashes in Maluku province and Poso regency, Central
\nSulawesi, which have left many thousands of people dead over the
\nyears. Ethnic conflicts have also broken out in Kalimantan, where
\nindigenous Dayak people launched pogroms against Madurese
\nmigrants from East Java.<\/p>\n
The international seminar organized by the State University of
\nJakarta (UNJ) is intended to investigate a concept of
\nmulticultural education for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
International experts, including experts from the University
\nof Hawaii, Indiana University, Universitas Kebangsaan Malaysia
\nand the Open University Malaysia, will be in attendance.<\/p>\n
\"We will try to learn from other countries on how they
\nimplement their concepts of multicultural education,\" said UNJ
\nRector Sutjipto said.<\/p>\n
Separately, UNJ Vice Rector Cut Kamaril Wardani said that in
\n2005, there would be further discussions on multiculturalism
\nbetween Turkey, Indonesia, the United States and Uzbekistan. The
\nplanned forum was initiated by the Indiana University,<\/p>\n
\"All of these are multicultural countries. Maybe through these
\ntalks, we will be able to figure out more about the sort of
\nmulticultural education we need here,\" she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-needs-to-promote-multicultural-education-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}