Inspirational Stovia amazes youngsters
Inspirational Stovia amazes youngsters
Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Stovia building is still inspiring people after all these
years. In the Dutch colonial era, the building was a medical
school that produced numerous doctors, as well as nationalist
leaders.
The building on Jl. Abdul Rahman Saleh in Central Jakarta is
now the National Awakening Museum, and is inspiring youngsters
with stories of the nationalist movement.
"I wish I had classrooms like these on my campus," said Razak,
a student at Trisakti University, during a recent visit to the
museum.
Razak was astonished by how comfortable the colonial school
was. The classrooms had high ceilings and broad windows. They
also only had three walls, which would have enabled the students
to look in on other classes.
The classrooms were built around a grassy courtyard planted
with banyan and palm trees.
"This place must have been very conducive for learning," said
Razak, who studies electrical engineering.
The school produced some of the country's earliest leaders,
such as Dr. Soetomo, founder of the Boedi Utomo (Noble Attitude)
movement.
Boedi Utomo, founded on May 20, 1908, was a pioneer in the
nationalist movement and helped produce more critical youngsters
who eventually played important roles in the country's
independence. The date of the movement's founding is now
commemorated as National Awakening Day.
Though the 104-year-old Stovia building, which was the first
vocational school built by the Dutch colonial administration,
played an important part in the nationalist movement, today the
fort-like structure receives few visitors.
According to records from the National Awakening Museum, an
average of 300 people visit the museum every month. Most of the
visitors are elementary and junior high school students on field
trips.
The head of the museum, Retno Sitowati, told The Jakarta Post
that she wanted to see the museum play a more prominent role in
society and people's lives.
"Right now we are trying to get the word out about the
existence of the museum. Hopefully, the public will become more
familiar with the museum."
She said they were attempting to teach people about the museum
by renting out the building to groups and individuals for
functions and events.
The building has been used for social gatherings, exhibitions
and movie shoots, she said.
The museum plans to host an event on Aug. 9 and Aug. 10 for
students, particularly Boy Scouts, who will camp out overnight on
the grounds of the museum, she said.
Sitowati said the event would coincide with the commemoration
of National Boy Scout Day on Aug. 14 and Independence Day on Aug.
17.
"This will be the first camp out we have ever held at the
museum. After this, we will evaluate and consider holding similar
events for the public," she said.
She said the museum would focus on events for students because
the building itself was like a history textbook.
"The building displays the features of education in the
colonial era," she said.
The educational situation in Indonesia during that era is well
documented in the book Gedung Stovia Sebagai Cagar Sejarah (The
Stovia Building as Historical Heritage), written by Basil
Fletcher, the author of the 1936 book Education and Colonial
Development.
In one of his books, Fletcher wrote: "There are times and
situations when it seems likely that nothing better will emerge
from this contact than some grotesque bastard product of
misgeneration. At other times there is seen the hope and the
possibility of an Eastern Renaissance."
According to Razak, the visiting university student, school
nowadays is useless because it cannot promise a better future.