Experts hail rounding out of history textbooks

Experts hail rounding out of history textbooks

JAKARTA (JP): Two observers have supported the plan to revise
school history textbooks, arguing it will help students put
recent tumultuous changes in the country into perspective.

University of Indonesia sociologist Paulus Wirutomo and head
of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Soefjan Tsauri
separately agreed that the revision endorsed by the Ministry of
Education and Culture was needed following recent developments in
the social, economic and political spheres.

"Students must be given an objective view about history
because there have been huge social changes here," Paulus said.

"Therefore, it is important to introduce students to the logic
of history. In this part, teachers will play significant roles as
they can present a proportional view of history."

History is a process, he said, and the current changes have
created confusion among students because they suddenly received
different versions of historical events which diverged from rigid
traditional teachings under the 32-year Soeharto regime.

"In the New Order era, history was engineered, and became 'the
whole truth', by (the ruling grouping Golkar). For instance,
(former president) Soeharto was described as a hero. That's it,
no other explanations, and students have swallowed that for
years.

"Suddenly, the regime of Soeharto, collapsed. Now what has
happened? Many controversies emerged, and many 'shocking' and
bold information has been released. Many students are left in the
dark here."

Students must be taught to see that history has various
dimensions, from power to politics, so they can become wise in
understanding the past, Paulus added.

Soefjan shared a similar opinion.

"Information runs very fast these days. We have to be wise and
careful in responding to the changes.

"Students need to be given new ways in studying history,"
Soefjan said on Thursday after a meeting with President B.J.
Habibie in the office of the Agency for Assessment and
Application of Technology.

Therefore, he said, the revision of history study must be done
by historians in cooperation with related ministries.

Paulus said the review must be done by independent and
respected intellectuals.

"It is also important to 'educate' the teachers through
discussion on how to give additional information to students.
Because the teachers' explanation can become a source of
confusion to the children."

Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono said on
Thursday that teachers and school principals have reached an
agreement to give additional "proportional information" on
national history for the next two years.

Among the subjects to be added to the history curriculum were
the students' movements in the late 1990s, including the May 12,
1998, shooting of Trisakti University students which triggered
massive unrest that led to Soeharto's fall, and the July 27th,
1996, incident when an attack on the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) headquarters sparked rioting and vandalism in Jakarta.

Educator Drost S.J. disagreed with the idea of putting
additional subjects into history lesson.

"There are two reasons. First, because the curriculum is
already burdensome to students.

"Second, I think all of these recent incidents, such as
student movements were momentous and emotional, so it is too soon
to consider it part of history," he told The Jakarta Post on
Friday.

According to Drost, history is the result of past incidents
which have been investigated and analyzed scientifically.

"Recent allegations emerging about the 1965 coup of (the
outlawed) Indonesian Communist Party, for instance, could not be
considered as part of history lesson. Papers and TV shows
presented the controversy, but the main incident has not been
thoroughly restudied yet.

"Such recent incidents actually must be given as part of
sociology or state administration lessons, not history, because
the economic and political issues are still changing," he said.

Juwono said on Thursday the study of history was continuing as
usual. "We could not just stop giving lessons and withdraw
millions of history books. Therefore, the teachers must be ready
to give extra explanation."

Juwono also said Soeharto's resignation on May 21 would be
included as additional history information. (edt)