What people say about history lessons at school

JAKARTA (JP): History has been a notoriously boring subject for many of the world's young students, while differing views are confusing to those brought up on one version. Can it be any other way? Parents, teachers, students and activists share their views.

Malina, a mother of three grown-up children: The history- teaching methodology should be changed because the current one stresses memorizing data, which I think is useless.

What is the use of memorizing dates of certain historical events for the students' future. There's no guarantee that people with a good memory on historical dates would have a brighter future.

Maybe the government should search for history-teaching methods that result, for instance, in students who will learn not to repeat bad lessons from history.

Roy Pakpahan, activist with Solidarity for Peace in East Timor (Solidamor): History teaching should be totally revised. Not only regarding its content but also its methodology, which is identical to indoctrination.

History lessons should include access to other sources, so students become accustomed to different opinions because history cannot be monopolized by certain parties only ...

History teaching under former president Soeharto's regime was aimed at preserving his power, so things which defiled his name were covered up.

For example, we are always told in history lessons how cruel the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was, when it tortured to death six generals during a failed coup attempt.

But we are never told about the equally inhumane deeds which led to the deaths of up to one million alleged PKI members according to novelist (and a former leader of the left-leaning Lekra literary organization) Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Indonesian history should certainly be rewritten, involving historians with different views, whether they agree or disagree with Soeharto's version of history.

Rewriting history should also include contemporary Indonesian history, such as the subject of East Timor.

Renata, 14, student of Tarsisius Vireta Catholic Junior High School in Tangerang, West Java: I like history only when it's stories but I hate it when I have to memorize historical dates or events.

Sometimes, I can't find certain parts of Indonesia's history in the textbook but which were published in newspapers or magazines. I once read about the transfer of power from Sukarno to Soeharto in the media. I have the impression that data in the media is far more complete than that in my textbook.

So, I'm beginning to think that textbooks are an incomplete source.

HR Agung Laksono, State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports: It's forbidden to cover certain facts in history. I think all history books which have been issued must be acknowledged.

We shouldn't listen to rumors. The official recognition from the government must be considered.

People may say some facts are bad or wrong but where is the official evidence? Everything must be based on data. What we have already should be considered as the right version.

Basically, history information must not lie to the people. If someone doubts (official) the history (of his own country), he must be able to show evidence.

Luhut Pangaribuan, former chairman of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute: We all know that history is never neutral, that's why (Indonesian history) should be rewritten because it has been biased toward former president Soeharto's interests.

Present history lessons are more about what happened in Java, so students from other islands are obliged to identify people they don't recognize as their heroes.

I think power centralization in Java has had an impact on history writing. The government should allocate more details on the history of other parts of the country.

There should be a new look into Indonesian history teaching that should give more roles to historians from various backgrounds, especially those uninfluenced by political power.

Sofi Naqiyah, 12, student of Nurul Fikri Integrated Islamic Junior High School, Depok, West Java: I like history lessons because my teacher stresses on discussion and (student) presentation. Students are also free to use various sources, not only textbooks. I think history teaching should be like that so it will attract our attention.

But I don't like the way (history) is treated in examinations as it is more difficult than multiple choice, for example.

The part of history lessons which I don't like most is when we are asked about historical dates.

Muchtar Pakpahan, leader of the Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union: I have the impression that the writing of Indonesian history lessons has a tendency to magnify former president Soeharto and consists of facts which are debatable, like the transfer of power from late first president Sukarno to Soeharto. It is a dark period because it has never been discussed openly.

I suggest that history lessons should be written by independent historians. The Ministry of Education and Culture should also open itself up to diverse sources regarding Soeharto.

History lessons should be rewritten but without feelings of vengeance. History should be just history. (ind/yan)