Stories from Deli

by Dr. Yap Hong Tjoen

Indië; geïllustreerd weekblad voor Nederland en koloniën, jrg 1, 1917, no. 11, 13-06-1917

At the request of the editorial board to submit an article, I could not comply better than by providing a sketch of the “Tiong Hwa Hwee Koan”, accompanied by a photo of one of its schools . The government native schools were only accessible to us, the Chinese, if there was space available. We were admitted to the European elementary school only if we understood the Dutch language sufficiently and paid increased tuition fees, and we were still denied if our admission could result in the rejection of European children due to lack of space. Economically, we suffered hard blows as the government took over the management of resources previously leased to the Chinese. Legally, we struggled with the pass and movement system and police control.

Under such circumstances, it is easy to understand that we remembered more than ever that we, despite being settled in Indonesia from generation to generation, were indeed “foreign” Orientals, and therefore needed to maintain Chinese customs and traditions (based on the teachings of Confucius) and know the “language of the Empire”.

Moreover, knowing that we were present in large numbers in Indonesia and played an important role in society there, coupled with the awareness that China might play a significant role in the East, encouraged us not to neglect our language. Additionally, we needed the Chinese language for our trade. Our overseas trade relations consist of those with our compatriots in the homeland, Siam, Cochinchina, the Straits, and elsewhere in East Asia.

To achieve this goal, the “Tiong Hwa Hwee Koan” association was founded in Batavia on June 3, 1900, and in February of the following year, the association was able to open a school accessible to both Chinese girls and boys.

The example of Batavia was followed everywhere; within a few years, these Tiong Hwa Hwee Koans with their schools sprang up across the archipelago. They formed a federation under the name “Djawa Hak Boe Tjong Hwee” with the goal of holding a congress once a year in Batavia, Semarang, or Surabaya to discuss common educational interests.

According to Mr. Henri Borel in his recent lecture held for the Chinese association “Chung Hwa Hui” in this country, there are now 442 of these private Chinese schools in the Dutch Indies, established with their own funds, contributions, and memberships, serving 19,636 students and employing 858 mostly Chinese-born teachers. To illustrate the sacrifices demanded by this national education, consider that the large school at Petekoan (Batavia) must contribute approximately ƒ 1500 monthly to cover costs.

In addition to reading and writing in Chinese, instruction is given in arithmetic, geography, history, drilling, gymnastics, and the most elementary knowledge of physics. On schools whose funds allow it, courses are opened in the English language. Dutch is not taught.

“However, after the founding of the Association” — wrote the Board of the Tiong Hwa Hwee Koan in Batavia to Mr. L. H. W. van Sandick, author of: Chinese Outside China — “there were again voices saying that a Dutch course at the school was desirable. However, the funds of the association, after gathering information, do not allow the establishment of such a Dutch course, which compared to an English course, entails greater expenditures without assistance.”

The association also contacted the government on February 28, 1903, requesting permission to hold a large lottery; the net proceeds would be used for this purpose, but as of today (December 31, 1908), our association has not received a favorable decision on this request.

It is often sarcastically mentioned that the Chinese national schools have attached an English course instead of a Dutch one. But if one knows everything as explained, one might ask: whose fault is it? The Chinese were driven to it! Indeed, it is a mystery that the petition was denied. Do they not understand that “knowing a people’s language is to love that nation”? Complaints arise that the attitude among the Chinese is not benevolent towards the Dutch, especially evident in the Chinese-Malay press. Why not seize the effective means to win our sympathy, by actually supporting these Chinese private schools and stipulating that a course in the Dutch language be opened?