Directorate General of Culture to join Ministry of Culture

Directorate General of Culture to join Ministry of Culture

JAKARTA (JP): Directorate General of Culture at the Ministry
of National Education will merge with the Ministry of Culture and
Tourism on Dec. 20, an official said on Tuesday.

"The decision was made (last October) after careful
consideration and preparation. It is best for the directorate
general (of culture) to develop with the new ministry,"
secretary-general of the Ministry of National Education Hidayat
Syarief said.

The Directorate General of Culture consists of several
divisions, among others, history and ancient civilization studies
and historical artifacts.

"The historical studies and the other divisions related to
education will remain the same, it will only be experiencing a
structural transfer," Hidayat told The Jakarta Post later in the
day.

Under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Directorate
General of Culture will be divided into two offices.

Hidayat revealed that the current Director General of Culture,
I Gusti Ngurah Anom, actually preferred to remain with the
Ministry of National Education.

"But I told him that he would be in a better position to
promote culture in the new ministry as in present ministry,
educational affairs dominate cultural affairs," Hidayat said.

When asked why it was necessary to separate the Directorate
General of Culture from the Ministry of National Education,
Hidayat suggested that the journalists ask President Abdurrahman
Wahid.

Director of history Anhar Gonggong, however, said he was ready
to be stationed anywhere.

"Well, I'm a civil servant, so I will serve as best as I can,"
he told journalists earlier.

Both Anom and Anhar are tipped as candidates to lead the two
new offices at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Previously, Minister of National Education Yahya Muhaimin had
said that the education-related divisions such as history should
remain with the education ministry as the Ministry of Culture and
Tourism was "too business oriented".

The Ministry of National Education, however, also has an new
department, the Directorate General for Youth and Sport as a
result of a merger with the defunct ministry of youth and sport
earlier this year. (edt)