President Prabowo orders revamp of Indonesian school textbooks

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has mandated a significant overhaul of school textbooks, spanning from elementary to high school levels, aiming to elevate their quality and relevance for students nationwide.

To achieve this, officials have been tasked with comparing Indonesian textbooks against those used in neighboring countries. State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya are leading this comparative study, which involves obtaining books from Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, and Vietnam. An interministerial team, comprising officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), has been formed to assess the textbooks and propose improvements.

President Prabowo has identified specific subjects requiring enhanced material, including national identity and nationalism, science and technology, mathematics, and foreign-language proficiency. Beyond content, the president is also focused on the physical attributes of the textbooks. He desires more attractive designs, larger and more readable fonts, and more durable materials to ensure longevity and ease of use for students.

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The main point is that we want to improve the quality of textbooks for all our students, from elementary, junior high and senior high school.

This directive stems from Prabowo's personal observations during visits to schools, where he inspected students' books. He noted instances of easily damaged materials and small, cramped text that made reading difficult, particularly for younger students. This firsthand assessment prompted his call for a thorough review and subsequent improvement of all textbooks used across Indonesia.

Looking ahead, the government is considering integrating digital formats, potentially making improved textbooks available through interactive flat panels or smart screens that are being distributed to schools. This move signals a broader effort to modernize educational resources and make learning more accessible and engaging for Indonesian students.

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When checking the textbooks, he looked at them one by one. He saw that some were made from materials that were easily damaged, while others were already damaged. The writing was also very small, so elementary school students had to read very closely.