Comments: Letters: Teaching of religion

Sat, 07/04/2009 12:59 PM  |  Reader's Forum

This is a response to a letter titled "Children and sex education," (The Jakarta Post, June 27).

I found this letter very interesting and feel very sorry for those Muslim parents in London who are forced to watch their children being taught concepts of homosexuality in public schools(which their taxes pay for).

I think it is unbelievable that the local council would even consider legal action against the parents for withdrawing their children from the school.

If they do not want their children taught certain things, this should be allowed because it clearly goes against the religious beliefs.

Your comments:
Gene, I do agree with you on the right of those Muslim parents in London to withdraw their children from the school that teaches homosexuality in their sex education programs.

However I am appalled to the way you put forward your argument, by singling out Christmas and Santa Claus as examples.

You could have offered better examples rather than irresponsibly suggesting that Christmas is a scam! I and many more folks were offended by your narrow and reckless analogy.

Danny Gerungan

Options for the presidential election--June 23, p. 6

Writing about Jusuf Kalla (JK) in the 2009 presidential election is an encore for me because I wrote an op-ed piece for the Financial Times on the 2004 presidential election. I remember my stance on Jusuf Kalla then was negative because there was popular belief that as a student activist, he was behind the burning of churches in Makassar in 1967. That is how he was branded as being anti-Christian.

Your comments:
I do not have much confidence in JK reforming the government or promoting a transparent government. He obviously doesn't care whether the government is corrupt or not. I recall that he once pushed for bureaucrats to have greater protection, as opposed to greater accountability, during a time when the bureaucrats were complaining about efforts against corruption.

I am sure what he had in mind was how the government could be friendly to both his personal business and those of his friends.

Sure, we heard rumors about his business interests being involved in many government projects, especially in infrastructure projects.

In his most ridiculous moment, he pressed Sri Mulyani to provide financial guarantees to the Monorail Project, which I found out later was run by one of his companies.

Of course there was nothing wrong with that, was there? Happy Pemilu !!!

Giri

Improving teacher's education--June 21, p. 18

The presidents and representatives of 40 universities across Asia, including from many teacher's colleges, pledged to collaborate to improve the education of teachers and promote educational research and development.

At the inaugural Asian Roundtable of Presidents of Universities of Education, hosted by the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) on May 22, HKIEd President Professor Anthony B. L. Cheung underlined that universities, schools and teachers are facing unprecedented challenges arising from globalization and the economy.

Your comments:
The results of the international conference hosted by HKIEd are very positive and provide great initiative for the transformation and improvement of teacher's education.

The forum of ASEAN+6 nations and education meetings like the HKIEd are necessary for restructuring curriculum, improving teaching, collaborating on research, exchanging students and scholars and developing education generally both within Asia and worldwide.

Kampechara Puriparinya
Bangkok, Thailand

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