'RI needs to promote' multicultural education

'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.