Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, Padang – The Padang city administration in West Java has ordered three school textbook publishers to revise their Islamic books for elementary schools, claiming the texts are misleading.
The order was made on the recommendation of an evaluation team set up by the Padang administration. The team found parts of the books, which were published in 2005 for second graders, were incorrect or misleading, such as illustrations of girls not wearing headscarves or Muslim dress.
M. Nur Amin, the head of the city's education office, told The Jakarta Post on Monday the administration had sent letters to the three publishers Friday. The publishers are Padang-based Giat Insani and Jakarta-based Erlangga and Yudistira.
"Books from the three publishers are used in 416 elementary schools in Padang city, so we hope the publishers immediately withdraw the books and revise them according to the team's recommendations," Nur said.
He said the evaluation team was set up after complaints from a parent to the city and provincial legislative councils, as well as related government agencies. "The team has been working for four months and we hope it will continue its work by checking Islamic textbooks for other grades," Nur said.
The team is made up of representatives from the Padang branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the Indonesian Mosque Council, Imam Bonjol State Islamic Institute, the Padang Language Council and the local religious affairs office.
Team head Syamsul Bahri Khatib, who heads the MUI in Padang, said the team analyzed the textbooks' illustrations and writings based on Islamic moral values and history, religious service and the Koran.
"It turns out much of the books' contents are misleading, for instance, by illustrating a girl who is not covering her body," he said.
Of the three textbooks, the team said the one published by Giat Insani needed the most revisions. The book was written by Dasni Yusri and other writers, including religious teachers and an Islamic education working group in Padang city.
Erlangga's textbook, which was prepared by a team of educators, was cited by the team for posing the risk of creating an incorrect understanding of Islam among students. The team found Yudistira's textbook, written by Achmad Farichi and others, confusing.
When contacted for comment, Yudistira's marketing manager in Padang, Jelvi Amri, said his office had received a letter from the administration and had forwarded it to its Jakarta office. He said the publisher would study the matter before making any comment.
However, he questioned the validity of some of the evaluation team's criticisms. As an example, he pointed to a criticized illustration of a young girl without a headscarf stepping into a bathroom in her home. Also pictured in the bathroom is a shirtless boy. The illustration is meant to show students how to perform wudu, the ritual ablution before prayers.
"This illustration, based on the situation, is not a problem since the girl is in her home, where women rarely wear a headscarf, especially on their way to the bathroom for wudu. And it's the same with the boy. But the team says it does not teach children to wear Muslim dress early," Jelvi said.
Another thing the team wants changed is the use of the Latin alphabet in the place of Arabic, which it says discourages students from learning to read the Koran.
"Yudistra's book on Islamic teaching is distributed across the country, and unlike in Padang city many regions don't obligate elementary school students to wear Muslim dress. So the illustration has not caused any problem and is acceptable. But the publisher's official response will come later," Jelvi said.