The European School For Chinese Ethnic Proposed By The Dutch In Today's History, June 28, 1907

JAKARTA – Today's history, 115 years ago, on June 28, 1907, the establishment of a European school for ethnic Chinese began to be proposed. The proposal was put forward by an official of the Indies Council to the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. It all came down to the Dutch fear of growing nationalism among the Chinese. One year later, the Dutch began to establish Dutch schools for the Chinese. Hollandsch Chineesche School (HCS), the name is. The result is satisfactory. Peace in the lands of the Indies was maintained.

The Chinese have always been privileged since the beginning of Dutch rule. The high tenacity and hard work of the Chinese people became the estuary. This attitude then brought many advantages to the Netherlands. as a reward, the entrance for the Chinese to Batavia was opened wide. In fact, the Dutch trading airline, VOC, even forced the Chinese to settle in Batavia.

The proposal was initially rejected. However, the range of privileges (from light taxes to legal access) granted by the VOC began to attract the Chinese people. After that, they immediately became economic drivers in Batavia. The Chinese can do anything. From carpenters to merchants.

Perhaps the Chinese benefited greatly from the privileges granted by the Dutch. However, this is not the case with education. This condition lasted until the end of the VOC, and was continued by the Dutch East Indies government. Education for the Chinese is a forgotten concept.

A new era soon emerged. Young Chinese in Batavia began to show off. They founded the modern Chinese organization Hwee Koan (THHK) in Pekoan, Batavia in 1900. The organization was purposely founded with the aim of providing access to education for all Chinese in Nusantara. On the other hand, THHK is to increase the sense of nationalism among each other.

“THHK was formed on March 17, 1900, to become the center for the whole (Chinese) movement for the reform of Chinese customs and traditions. This association founded a school that was opened in Jakarta in 1901. They formed a modern Chinese school in three ways.”

“First, the teaching language is Mandarin, not Hokkien or any other South Chinese dialect. Second, they use the curriculum of modern Western education. Third, classes for girls were immediately opened and, in 1928, the school in Batavia (formerly called Jayakarta) became a school for both male and female students,” wrote the book Setelah Air Mata Kering: Masyarakat Tionghoa Pasca Peristiwa Mei 1998 (2010).

The establishment of the THHK school worries the Netherlands. Because, the school is oriented to the Bamboo Curtain country directly. This means that his sense of nationalism among Chinese people can be a threat to the Dutch at any time.

The Council of the Indies (the legislative council of the Dutch era) smelled this gesture. They then proposed to the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Johannes Benedictus van Heutsz (1904-1909) to immediately build a European school for the Chinese. The proposal to suppress ethnic Chinese nationalism was made on June 28, 1907.

“In an advisory to the government of June 28, 1907, the Council of the Indies proposed the establishment of Dutch schools for Chinese children in possible cities. This prompted the Dutch East Indies government to establish schools for Chinese children.”

“This school fully implements the Western education system and the language of instruction is Dutch. The school, which was founded in 1908, was named Hollandsch Chineesche School or HCS,” concluded Benny G. Setiono in his book Tionghoa Dalam Pusaran Politik (2008).

The idea of establishing the Hollandsch Chineesche School (HCS) on June 28, 1907, became part of today's history in Indonesia.