Govt to regulate history books

Govt to regulate history books

JAKARTA: Minister of National Education Bambang Soedibyo said on Wednesday he would issue a decree on history textbooks for use in secondary schools in Indonesia.

"I will issue a special ministerial decree on history textbooks based on the 1994 curriculum," he said.

The ministry announced on Monday it would ban the use of history textbooks written according to the 2004 competency-based curriculum because they excluded the 1948 revolt in Madiun, East Java, which was blamed on the now-outlawed Indonesian Communist Party, and the 1965 coup attempt also blamed on the communists.

Schools will instead be required to use history books based on the 1994 curriculum.

Bambang said he had asked the Attorney General's Office to order the withdrawal of the latest history textbooks. --Antara