RUDI CORENS: (JP/Slamet Susanto)
Every year, one more traditional children's game is lost in the
country. The result is that Indonesian children don't get the chance to
learn the educational arts of their forebears.
Concern about the state of Indonesian children's education led Rudi
Corens, an artist from Belgium who is also a lecturer at Gadjah Mada
University (UGM) in Yogyakarta, to pioneer the establishment of a
children's museum named Kolong Tangga, which literally means The Space
Under the Stairs.
"In my eyes children are innocent and unspoiled, and can always make me
laugh. What a pity that today they can't get a good education," said
Rudi who has lived in Yogyakarta since 1991.
Children have also lost much public space where they could play in
their environment. Parents no longer try to introduce them to the rich
cultural heritage of their ancestors, spoiling their children with toys
made from plastic and electronic games.
"Children are taken to shopping malls where they play modern games which do not educate them," he said.
Teachers at school seem to be happier lecturing on theory without
introducing culture to their students. The education curriculum also
doesn't recognize the value of introducing the customs of yesteryear to
children.
According to Rudi, by playing traditional games children can develop
their creative abilities. Since traditional games were made using
materials from the children's natural surroundings, he says they are
more pleasurable for creative children.
"Traditional games have scientific and educational values, and moral
messages which to this day have been recognized by European people. But
how sad that in the past 10 years one plaything has been lost every
year," said Rudi, who will turn 75 this year.
He said that traditional games teach children the art of socializing
with other children since many traditional games can't be played alone,
forcing children to cooperate with other children to participate.
Every traditional game is linked to the stories or legends of the
culture of a particular region. Playing a traditional game helps
stimulate children's imagination and automatically assists them to
understand the social culture of their ancestors.
"Indonesian children today don't know or understand the richness of the
old toys and games which were part of the fabric of the nation itself,"
said Rudi.
Because they no longer know traditional games, and because they are
being spoiled by electronic games, this has made Indonesian children
grow up with selfish attitudes, he said.
"To play electronic games now you don't need a friend. You can just play alone," said Rudi.
Many Indonesian children now grow up having been influenced by violence
to the point where they have finally become the "brutal generation".
"The types of electronic games now on sale always express violence.
Games are available that just kill, kill and kill. This not only
damages their attitudes but can also make children cruel," said Rudi.
He raised hope that the opening of the children's museum, which
officially opened its doors in February this year, will create a public
space for the children of Yogyakarta and surrounding areas.
He also hoped the museum would become an educational resource,
assisting in the development of creative ideas and providing art
education and the preservation of traditional values.
On a visit to the museum, people can see around 200 types of games and
toys at Kolong Tangga, while at the same time appreciating the culture
of the past.
Almost all the exhibits at Kolong Tangga come from Corens' personal collection of about 900 games.
However, since there is limited space at the museum, the items have to be displayed in rotation.
The children's museum doesn't just exhibit games. It also provides
facilities such as children's workshops, a children's library and a
playground where children can play together -- all involving 30
volunteers.
"We are thankful to have 30 volunteers to help with the children's
education. They are not profit oriented. They are concerned with
children's education and they work together with sincerity," Corens
said.
To finance all the events, the museum depends on donations.
"If it depends on the government -- well, governments everywhere are
the same. They offer many promises. That's why we hope more and more
people will become involved," said Rudi.
For the future, Rudi hopes that the children's museum will be accessed
by more people so that it can help retain the traditional values of
society, which he said are starting to disappear.
At the beginning, Rudi said he didn't think about establishing a children's museum.
He just enjoyed his hobby of collecting traditional games and toys. He
started his collection with a miniature bread train, a gift from his
great-grandfather and which was more than 175 years old.
Rudi has since had the chance to go to many remote places in Indonesia to study culture and society.
"I've traveled around Indonesia because I wanted to see for myself the reality of society and culture."
Every time he travels to the regions, Rudi always takes the opportunity
to visit traditional markets to look for old games. He has often had to
go to remote places that have been difficult to access in his search
for traditional games.
"I've been collecting traditional games for 30 years and all have been difficult to obtain," he said.
Traditional games also provide cultural links between one region and
another. For example, a story behind a game in India can be linked to a
story or educational value that can be found in an Indonesian game.
"I am more interested in studying the culture of a region which is reflected in the game," he said.
The more that he studies the values and cultures behind a traditional
game, the more Rudi feels concerned about the current education of
children.
"In order to make my interest be of benefit to the children in
Yogyakarta and other cities, I finally had to give my collection to
create the museum," he said.
