Gov’t to Renew School Textbooks Nationwide

Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya deliver a press statement at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta, on Friday (08/07).

In a move to strengthen the foundations of national education, the Government is set to renew school textbooks nationwide.

According to Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, the initiative followed President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to several schools, where he personally inspected the quality of textbooks used by students.

The initiative also aims to foster a culture of reading from an early age as a long-term investment in improving the quality of Indonesia’s human capital.

“When he examined the textbooks one by one, he found that some were made of materials that were easily damaged, while others were already in poor condition. He also noted the print was too small, forcing primary school students to read at a very close distance, which is not conducive to good reading posture. For that reason, he intends to check the textbooks used at the primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary levels,” Teddy said during a press briefing with Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta, Friday (08/07).

Teddy also stated that following the review, the President ordered the Government to compare Indonesian textbooks with those used in neighboring countries as part of efforts to enhance the quality of textbooks nationwide.

“We will review all existing textbooks so that the President can examine them individually. They will then be compared with those of the neighboring countries. That is the initial plan,” he said.

In the meantime, Prasetyo stated that the President had highlighted several strategic priorities in the textbook renewal program, including strengthening national character, improving science and technology education, and enhancing foreign language capacity for global competition.

“Secondly, it aims to keep pace with advances in science and technology. One of the foundations is mathematics. Thirdly, it seeks to prepare students for global competition. One of the President’s concerns is foreign language competency, including English,” he said, adding that the President also aims to improve the physical quality of school textbooks.

“Earlier, we discussed the physical quality of textbooks. We want them to be larger, more attractive, printed in bigger fonts, and made of good durable materials. Since textbooks are public assets, they can be passed down or used by multiple generations,” he said.

Prasetyo also emphasized that the President places a high priority on education because reading has been a longstanding habit instilled within his family from an early age, and he aims to promote this habit within the national education system.

“Mr. Mitro (President Prabowo’s father) required his children to read a number of books every week, make a summary, and report it to their parents. That is an educational approach that we will promote. We have coordinated with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for this. We will promote a love for reading and make reading books a requirement for us all,” he said. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (DH/EP)