A portrait of Ki Hajar Dewantara. | backgroundKi Hajar Dewantara was born in a Javanese aristocracy in the royal house of Yogyakarta. As a result of his royal background, he was able to access the colonial public education, a luxury that was unattainable by most of common population in the VOC. He graduated from basic education in ELS (Dutch Primary School). Then he continued his study to STOVIA, a medical school for native students. However, he failed to graduate because suffered an illness. Later he worked as a journalist and wrote for numbers of newspapers. During his career media, he was considered a talented and accomplished writer. His style of writing is popular, communicative and yet imbued with freedom idealism and anti-colonialism sentiments. |
activist
Besides being a reporter, Dewantara was also active in social and political organizations. Since the establishment of Budi Utomo, he was active in their propaganda service to socialize and promote public awareness of Indonesia as a national unity. He also organized Budi Utomo first congress in Yogyakarta. Dewantara was also a member of the Insulinde, a multi-ethnic organization that dominated by Indo activist. This organization was advocating for self-rule in the VOC. One of the prominent figures in this organization was Ernest Douwes Dekker. Later, Dewantara was invited to join the party, when Douwes Dekker established Indische Partij.
"if I'm a dutch"
In 1913, the VOC government sought to collect money to fund the centennial anniversary of Dutch independence from Napoleonic France back in 1813. The donations were drawn from VOC citizens, which also includes indigenous people. This decision has ignited critical oppositions and negative reactions from pro-independence nationalists, including Dewantara. He wrote several critical columns, however, the most famous piece of Dewantara's column is If I'm A Dutch. The content of his article fiercely criticized the colonial government of Netherlands Indies. As a result, in 1913, Dewantara and 2 others were exiled to the Netherlands.
return from exile and Japanese occupation
On September 1919, Dewantara returned home from exile. He joined his brother on establishing a school in Yogyakarta. His founded the Nationaal Onderwijs Instituut Ampel. And on July 1922, Soewardi established Taman Siswa school in Yogyakarta, a Javanese educational movement that strive to provide education for the native Indonesian population. During the days of Japanese occupation, Dewantara's activities in the field of politics and education still continued. When the Japanese government established the Pusat Tenaga Rakyat in 1943, Dewantara was appointed as one of its leaders
Indonesian independence, death and legacy
In the first cabinet of the Republic of Indonesia in the 1950s, Dewantara was appointed as Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture. In 1957, he received an honorary doctorate honoris causa from Indonesia's oldest university, Gadjah Mada University. He died in Yogyakarta on 26 April 1959. In recognition for his dedications and accomplishments on pioneering public education in Indonesia, he was declared as the Father of Indonesian National Education, a national hero, and his birthday is appointed as the National Education Day. The Dewantara Kirti Griya Museum in Yogyakarta was built to commemorate, preserve and promote the thought, values and ideals of Dewantara.