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View all search resultsCalls grow for more Betawi lessons in Jakarta schools
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A number of dancers perform a Betawi dance during a large-scale cultural show on Car-Free Day at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, Central Jakarta, on July 6, 2025. The cultural performance, themed Jakarta in Color, featured thousands of traditional dancers and martial artists, held to promote and preserve Betawi cultural heritage. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A)
F
ollowing the Jakarta city administration’s plan to ban the iconic ondel-ondel (giant Betawi effigy) buskers from streets, city council members and historians have called for deeper integration of Betawi culture into the school curriculum to ensure its continuity and relevance among the younger generation.
Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung previously insisted that ondel-ondel performances would be restricted to official events and cultural activities only, aiming to “preserve the dignity” of the Betawi heritage. Formal regulations to enforce this policy are currently being drafted.
In response, Jakarta City Council Speaker Khoirudin expressed the hope that Betawi culture would not be limited to ceremonial displays but also become a core part of formal education.
"Schools are the agents of social change. They play a crucial role in preserving Betawi culture by passing it on to children,” he said on June 2, adding that he was ready to collaborate with the Jakarta Education Agency to explore ways to integrate Betawi culture into the school curriculum.
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician also stated that provisions related to Betawi education would be included in the revision of the 2015 bylaw on the preservation of Betawi culture, a legislative priority for this year.
Read also: Jakarta to ban Betawi ‘ondel-ondel’ in busking
Historians have echoed similar sentiments, urging greater investment in Betawi cultural education, especially as Jakarta pursues its vision of becoming a global and cultural city.
