Menbud Fadli Zon Encourages Mandatory History Lessons At School

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon gave an intangible cultural heritage certificate to Acting Regent Lumajang Indah Wahyuni at Cak Durasim Building (photo: dock. between)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Culture (Menbud), Fadli Zon, expressed the hope of the community and his party that history lessons were again required in schools from elementary (SD) to above (SMA). Currently, in the Independent Curriculum, history is a subject of choice.

"Yes, we hope that this history will become something (a compulsory lesson), so we propose it, because everywhere in other countries, history is mandatory, nothing makes history an option," said Fadli on the sidelines of the National Conference of Indonesian Historians (MSI) at the UPI Bandung Campus, Saturday, December 14.

According to Fadli, history must be a concern because it is the foundation for the process of building character and nation. "People who don't know history, definitely don't know the present, or can't design a future," he added.

Fadli also revealed that the Ministry of Culture will again present the Directorate of History and Museums. "This History Directorate will come back to life and we will also immediately write a revision to the addition of our history book in the context of 80 years of Indonesia's Independence," he said.

MSI General Chair, Agus Mulyana, welcomed if the historical subjects returned to mandatory as before. "I am very happy, because it is one of the efforts to build a national character building, by building historical awareness," said Agus.

Agus, who is also the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, UPI, expressed his joy at the return of the Directorate of History and Museums at the Ministry of Culture. This directorate was lost five years ago from the ministry's organizational structure.

In a discussion with the Minister of Culture, Agus emphasized the importance of this directorate in writing official history involving the state. "As an effort, the state builds historical awareness to the society which is very important in building national character building," he said.

In addition to opening the MSI national seminar, Fadli Zon also reviewed the UPI National Education Museum, which standards rose to A, and witnessed a 12-minute documentary about the history and owner of Villa Isola which is now a cultural heritage.