Human Rights Minister pushes for dedicated human rights textbook in schools

Jakarta - The Ministry of Human Rights is negotiating with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to push for the integration of human rights material into school learning through a dedicated textbook at primary, junior secondary and senior secondary levels.

Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai said in Jakarta on Monday that his ministry is pushing for human rights material not merely to be a small part of the Pancasila and Civics Education subject, but to receive a more complete learning space.

According to Pigai, the proposal differs from the initial plan of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, which placed human rights material in only one or two chapters of the Pancasila and Civics textbook.

“The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education wants human rights to be included in just one or two chapters of the Pancasila and Civics textbook. I do not want that. I want a separate book,” he said.

Pigai said strengthening human rights education in schools needs to be positioned as part of shaping the character, morals and ethics of students.

He referred to what he considers an ideal curriculum composition, namely 50 to 60 percent for general knowledge, 30 to 40 percent for skills and vocational training, and 10 percent for moral and ethical content.

According to him, human rights material needs to receive a portion within that 10 percent allocation, alongside religious education and Pancasila.

“So that at primary, junior secondary and senior secondary levels, a book on human rights can be a separate book outside Pancasila and Civics Education,” Pigai said, explaining the integration target.

He added that providing a dedicated human rights textbook would help ensure that material on rights, obligations, respect for human dignity and humanitarian values can be delivered in a more focused manner to students.

Regarding readiness to prepare teaching materials, Pigai said the Ministry of Human Rights has expert resources and materials that can be used to compile the book in a relatively short time.

“We ask for a separate book to be allocated because we have many experts and materials. We could compile it within a month. Going forward, hopefully we can be allocated a separate book, whether as a compulsory or supplementary book,” he said.

Pigai expressed hope that discussions with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will result in a stronger space for human rights learning in the national education system, so that human rights education does not stop at knowledge but also helps shape students’ attitudes and behaviour in daily life.