Decolonizing Indonesian History Curriculum, 1946-1964

Abstract

Decolonization of history education mainly seeks to decenter Eurocentric narrative in history curriculum and teaching. Whilst this topic has been widely explored, the discussion related to the decolonization of history education has yet to be explored. this research aims to trace the complex process of decolonization of the history curriculum in Indonesia, which took place at the beginning of its independence, and how the political situation might have influenced this process. Historical research was conducted. Archival materials were obtained from various institutions both in Indonesia and overseas. the data were analyzed and interpreted using decolonization as a framework. this research found that the Indonesian government has tried to decolonize the history curriculum by foregrounding the role of Indonesians in History. However, the effort was not easy because the references used in teaching were still written using sources from the colonial period. Moreover, this research shows that political changes could affect the history curriculum.