Indonesia school curricula now showing Jews in better light, watchdog finds

The official school curriculum in Indonesia has shown a significant shift toward greater inclusivity and religious tolerance since 2013, a new report by Israel-and UK-based education watchdog IMPACT-se finds.

The study reviews over 40 humanities textbooks in the country’s Merdeka Curriculum, which it introduced in 2022 to modernize its teaching approach.

The textbooks now depict Jews and Judaism more positively, recognizing Jews as “People of the Book,” affirming elements of the Torah, and highlighting Prophet Muhammad’s respectful relations with Jews, IMPACT-se says. Antisemitic content found in previous editions, such as negative stereotypes or stories casting Jews as dishonest, has been removed.

It also eliminates negative portrayals of Israel and avoids references to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, IMPACT-se says, it barely mentions the Holocaust.

Newly introduced content embraces religious and ethnic minorities in the world’s largest Muslim country, including local belief systems long excluded from religious instruction.

Passages condemning LGBT identities have also been removed, and gender equality is increasingly emphasized, IMPACT-se says.

“The attitude expressed in textbooks towards Jews and Judaism is increasingly positive,” says IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff. “We look forward to seeing this trend continue as the curriculum evolves, shaping the views and attitudes of 58 million children.”