Textbooks make bore children to tears: Expert

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia's education system has failed to develop reading habits among children due to its uncreative teaching methods, a child education expert says.

Children tended to ignore reading books because they thought they were the same as school textbooks, Agus Moeliono, from the Bandung-based Institute for Research and Development of Child Education, said on Saturday.

"Textbooks here forcefeed the children with the government's point of view. They are not made to encourage children's creativity or imagination. Have we ever found here a textbook with an illustration of purple cows?" he said on the sidelines of a children's event held by the British Council in Jakarta.

The country's education system requires students to pass examinations rather than build their knowledge on life in their own ways.

Teachers looked down on students who had different opinions from those stated in the textbooks, he said.

"Teachers here tend to give conventional question and answer type homework to students instead of encouraging students to explore their opinions about something," said Agus, adding that the conventional method was not suitable for children, who liked challenges.

No wonder, he said, most children preferred to watch television programs rather than reading books nowadays.

Siva, 10, from an elementary school in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, admitted that she does not really like reading. She prefers watching television because it is easier to follow the story.

Another child, Malik, 8, from Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, said that he loved books with pictures, especially cars and animals. "I don't like textbooks because the pictures are small and not colorful."

While most people think that children only like comics, unknown to many, it is not only comics that children like to read.

During the children's program, several children brought their favorite books, which ranged from fairy tales to scientific books.

"I saw a strange insect when I was playing in the rice field in my village. I later found a book which tells me about the insect. That's why I like this book a lot," said Usman, an 11- year-old student from Pelabuhan Ratu, West Java.

Agus encourages parents and teachers to provide children with books which have attractive illustrations.

"Forget about the conventional curriculum. Give children imaginative books instead of old-fashion books which offer good morals. Let children find their own values," Agus said.