Prizes to attract youths to museum

Prizes to attract youths to museum

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has urged the City Museum Office to find a way to attract students to museums.

Assistant for the City Secretary Soenarjudardji said at the opening ceremony of a culture preservation exhibition over the weekend that young Indonesians rarely visit museums in the city.

"The youngsters don't appreciate their own heritage. It's a challenge to the city museum office to find ways to draw them in," Soenarjudardji said.

He explained that although the city administration has tried to force school children to visit museums with a Gubernatorial Decree, which stipulates that school children are obliged to visit museums, the number of young Indonesians visiting museums remains small.

"Maybe door prizes can be given out once in a while," he suggested.

Soenarjudardji is convinced his plan can work and that the city administration will find sponsors to provide the prizes.

Candrian Attahiyyat, an executive from the city museum office admitted that although the number of students visiting museums is growing, it is still very small.

"The number is growing and the office is optimistic that in the future students will understand the importance and necessity of museums," said Candrian.

He explained that his office has already taken steps to introduce archeology and history to students by training their teachers. Eventually, Candrian explained, teachers will be able to interest students in museums.

Candrian said Jakartan museums should improve their services and the quality of their collections to attract visitors.

He added that the communication skills of museum guides must be improved. He also proposed that museums print as many brochures as possible to promote themselves among young people.

The cultural preservation exhibition, being held from March 25 through March 31 at Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi museum on Jl. Imam Bonjol No. 1, Central Jakarta, features 50 historical artifacts.(yns)