Lost Traces of Ki Hadjar Dewantara and Tamansiswa
Genealogically, KHD came from the lineage of the Yogyakarta Sultanate. His father was the son of the consort of Sri Paku Alam III, who was among the Yogyakarta Palace members.
Every Indonesian who has ever attended school will certainly have learned of Ki Hadjar Dewantara and Tamansiswa.
Both are mentioned in the history books of the country’s independence movement taught to students of elementary, junior and senior high schools. Prior to establishing Tamansiswa, Ki Hadjar Dewantara (KHD) had been known as one of Tiga Serangkai (triad) figures with Ernest Douwes Dekker and Tjipto Mangunkusumo. The three founded Indische Partij, a pioneering organization that helped give birth to Indonesian nationalism.
KHD's birth name was Raden Mas (RM) Soewardi Soerjaningrat, who was born on 2 May, 1889 and died on 26 April, 1959. His birthdate is commemorated today as National Education Day. Soewardi rescinded his title of nobility and changed his name to Ki Hadjar Dewantara after establishing Perguruan (teaching institution) Tamansiswa with the aim of eliminating feudal cultural barriers.
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> Responsibility for Education
Genealogically, KHD came from the lineage of the Yogyakarta Sultanate. His father was the son of the consort of Sri Paku Alam III, who was among the Yogyakarta Palace members. Little KHD had the privilege of entering formal school, with the Dutch administered Europeesche Legere School being his elementary school. However, having such privilege made him uncomfortable, with him being aware that many of children at his age had no access to school just because they were commoners.
Unfortunately, he failed to complete his study due to sickness. Suffering a recurrent bout of illness made him unable to follow his classes properly, which resulted in the revocation of his scholarship.
In his following education, KHD initially entered Kweek School (teacher education school) in Yogyakarta, before he left it to study medicine at School Tot Opvoeding van Indische Artsen (School for the training of native physicians, known as STOVIA) on scholarship. Unfortunately, he failed to complete his study due to sickness. Suffering a recurrent bout of illness made him unable to follow his classes properly, which resulted in the revocation of his scholarship.
After leaving STOVIA, KHD took up journalism and developed himself as a staunchly critical journalist and writer. His famous editorial column, thanks to its high historical dimension, was "Als Ik Eens Nederlander Was" (If I Were a Dutchman). The article, which was published in the De Express daily on 19 July, 1913, carried a criticism of the Dutch colonial government. The Dutch were preparing to celebrate 100 years of independence from French colonialism by garnering funds from the people it colonized (Indonesia), which was considered unethical.
KHD was sent into exile in the Netherlands as punishment, but it proved to be a blessing in disguise. Apart from being able to learn about pedagogy, KHD also became acquainted with educational figures, such as Friederich Wilhelm August Frobel, Maria Montessori and Rabindranath Tagore whose ideas were being widely discussed in Europe at that time. KHD fostered a friendship with Montessori and Tagore. KHD's wife Nyi Sutartinah became a kindergarten teacher at Frobel School.
His introduction to Frobel's thoughts and acquaintance with Montessori and Tagore, coupled with his wife's experience as a teacher at Frobel Kindergarten, were what underlay the concept of developing the Perguruan Tamansiswa, which was founded three years after he returned from the Netherlands, on 3 July, 1922. Tamansiswa provided education starting from kindergarten (taman indria), making art and culture as the basis of education with the concept of liberating education as developed by Montessori.
Populist and nationalism
His exile in the Netherlands for six years (1913-1919) gave KHD a change in the perspective of his movement and participation in realizing an independent Indonesia, namely from a political to educational and cultural movement. According to his Tamansiswa contemporaries, who had knowledge about KHD's lifetime, the change in the movement's strategy from politics to education was also attributable his wife’s role as kindergarten teacher.
The shift to education-inspired struggle was also inseparable from KHD's own personal experience, when he saw around him growing concerns about discrimination in access to education served by the government. KHD was of the opinion that to prepare for an independent Indonesia, the Indonesian people had to build intellectualism. Education was the breeding ground for intellectualism. However, intellectualism was not the only field KHD wanted the people to develop. He also saw the significance of conscience, creativity and willingness to work. Those had to be simultaneously developed.
This became the spirit of education developed at the Tamansiswa, in addition to local cultural values. Art is a medium to refine the mind, and art and culture at Perguruan Tamansiswa at that time were not only complementary, but also the main instrument of the learning process.
Perguruan was chosen as the form of institution. It derives from the word peguron (a place for teachers) who were expected to impart their pedagogical knowledge all the time. The term taman (garden) was chosen because KHD wanted to make the school a fun, and not boring, place for children.
Subscribing to populist and nationalism value in the educational system appeared to have spurred Tamansiswa’s rapid development in the early days of its establishment. A decade into its existence (1932), Tamansiswa had 205 branches, 650 teachers and about 20,000 students (Lee Kam Hing, 1990: 182). The institutional branches were found not only in Java, but also in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Lombok.
The ordinance, which came into effect on 1 Oct., 1932, was a form of supervision of private schools suspected of sowing the seeds of resistance against the colonial government.
The rapid development of Perguruan Tamansiswa in a short time prompted the colonial government to issue a regulation called wilde school ordinate. The ordinance, which came into effect on 1 Oct., 1932, was a form of supervision of private schools suspected of sowing the seeds of resistance against the colonial government.
In the face of this ordinance, KHD took the initiative of resistance by sending a telegram to the Governor General Jhr BC de Jonge as a form of protest. In his letter, KHD stated that he would fight on without resorting to violence (Abdurachman Sumomihardjo, 1982: 191). KHD's resistance was able to trigger a massive movement from different elements nationwide, not only in Java, but also in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, and finally the ordinance was revoked in 1934.
Shackling romanticism
Indonesia's independence on 17 Aug., 1945 should have been a new milestone for the development of Tamansiswa because it had already grown large and extensive social resources. The public had the trust to send their children to Tamansiswa. Unfortunately, the opportunity was missed as Tamansiswa was too slow to adapt, becoming trapped in the romanticism of past struggle and the conservatism of its leadership.
The post-independence era saw Tamansiswa slipping into its twilight. Today, which marks 100 years of its birth, the twilight is getting so thin it shows no traces of KHD and Tamansiswa. According to historian from the National University of Malaysia, Lee Kam Hing (ibid: 183), the educational heyday of Tamansiswa only lasted up to the pre-independence period.
Entering post-independence, Tamansiswa was no longer an organization with a clearly defined vision as it used to be. It seems difficult for Tamansiswa to adjust to the post-independence situation because many initiatives for educational change have come from the government. In the midst of rapid expansion of government schools and nationalism commonly taught in the general education system, Tamansiswa is unable to formulate a distinctly new and meaningful role.
Its existence is only complimentary to the government school system. At best, Tamansiswa only functions as a custodian of the KHD teachings and legacy of his past role in the struggle for independence.
The trap of romanticism and conservatism continues to this day. Perguruan Ibu Pawiyatan (IP) as the seed for the growth of the establishment of Perguruan Tamansiswa is almost extinct, as there are few enthusiasts. Various ideas to revive the institution have emerged from different circles, including the alumni, but there has never been any execution of these ideas because those who are in charge, apart from not having the executing capacity, are reluctant to hand it over to those who have the capacity.
Finally, whenever we talk about education in Tamansiswa, what appears is only the romanticism of past educational heyday, not the current reality. They boast that they are following the concepts and practices of KHD education, but when asked where the concepts and practices of KHD education are being practiced today, they struggle to point to the evidence.
In several discussions with Tamansiswa people, I always give examples of Muhammadiyah or Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which are open organizations. Whoever the person is, if they have the potential and are willing to become a member of Muhammadiyah or the NU, they will be facilitated and given a membership card so both Muhammadiyah and NU have potential cadres from various educational, economic and social backgrounds.
Within Tamansiswa, let alone for outsiders, the descendants of Tamansiswa leaders – who have potential – find it difficult to get a Tamansiswa membership card. Membership cards are only granted to teachers or former teachers who happen to serve as branch administrators. How will they develop Tamansiswa, if they, while living in the institution, have no network with the outside world?
Gen. (ret) Tyasno Sudarto, during his chairmanship of the Tamansiswa High Council (MLTS) in 2007-2012, once initiated to make Tamansiswa an open organization by proposing to change the institution from a yayasan (foundation) to an association and with a plan to recruit potential outsiders into the administration. However, this was opposed by conservative groups and finally, at the December 2012 congress, he was not reelected.
Considering the widely acknowledged role of KHD and Tamansiswa during the independence movement, Tamansiswa should remain a place to sow the seeds of democracy and nationalism.
Tamansiswa is too dear to disappear from existence. There needs to be a movement for Tamansiswa. Only the government has the coercive power to abolish all forms of leadership conservatism at Tamansiswa, which is making Tamansiswa fade. Without a rescue movement, Tamansiswa will be just a memory and KHD will only be romanticism.
Darmaningtyas,
Darmaningtyas, Management of the Tamansiswa Supreme Council 2007-2012
(This article was translated by Musthofid)
