'RI needs to promote' multicultural education
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A pluralist Indonesia should promote multicultural education in a bid to nurture more tolerance among its some 215 million people, an education expert said on Wednesday.
"When we talk about multiculturalism, it does not only refer to relations between nations but also ethnic groups. Indonesia is a country with hundreds of ethnic groups," H.A.R. Tilaar said.
He was speaking at a press conference ahead of a two-day international seminar on multicultural education from Sept. 7 to Sept. 8, which will be held at the Borobudur Hotel, Central Jakarta.
"By understanding the concept of multiculturalism, tolerance can be promoted so as to build a new, integrated national identity," Tilaar said.
He said that young people needed to be taught multiculturalism.
"It should be incorporated into our education system so as to create a multicultural generation that appreciates multiculturalism and is able to live with it," he added.
Tilaar cited Australia as an example, saying that multiculturalism was not specifically taught as a subject in the neighboring country.
However, he added, the concept of multiculturalism had been incorporated into Australia's education curriculum, which produced students with high levels of tolerance
Tilaar said that currently Indonesia had no concept of multicultural education. "We are now in a position where we are only beginning to realize that multiculturalism may be the way to strengthen our national identity."
Tilaar, who has written many books on education, said that Indonesia should begin by formulating its own concept of multicultural education for students, as other countries may have different concepts.
"Multicultural education itself is still relatively new. It was only started in the 1990s," he said.
The education expert said that globalization had been forcing people around the world to reformulate their concepts of nationalism, and global and local culture.
"Samuel P. Huntington in his book 'The Clash of Civilizations' warned us that cultures would become a big concern. Therefore, good understanding and tolerance are greatly needed," said Tilaar.
Tolerance has been put to the test in Indonesia following sectarian clashes in Maluku province and Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, which have left many thousands of people dead over the years. Ethnic conflicts have also broken out in Kalimantan, where indigenous Dayak people launched pogroms against Madurese migrants from East Java.
The international seminar organized by the State University of Jakarta (UNJ) is intended to investigate a concept of multicultural education for Indonesia.
International experts, including experts from the University of Hawaii, Indiana University, Universitas Kebangsaan Malaysia and the Open University Malaysia, will be in attendance.
"We will try to learn from other countries on how they implement their concepts of multicultural education," said UNJ Rector Sutjipto said.
Separately, UNJ Vice Rector Cut Kamaril Wardani said that in 2005, there would be further discussions on multiculturalism between Turkey, Indonesia, the United States and Uzbekistan. The planned forum was initiated by the Indiana University,
"All of these are multicultural countries. Maybe through these talks, we will be able to figure out more about the sort of multicultural education we need here," she said.