Ki Hajar Dewantara (also known as Raden Mas Soewardi Soerjaningrat), 1889-1959,

was a writer, columnist, politician and advocator of Indonesian independence from the Dutch
colonial power. However, he may be most remembered for his pioneering role in the
development of education in the Indonesian colony. A native of Yogyakarta (Java), Dewantara
founded the Taman Siswa school in 1922 in Yogyakarta. This school provided education for
native Indonesians, whereas previously education was limited to the Dutch colonials and
Javanese aristocracy.

He was born into a family of Javanese nobility (priyayi) Dewantara was able to receive
education in the Dutch East Indies: primary school (ELS) and STOVIA (medical school for
natives). However, he would not finish STOVIA due to an illness. Instead he started working as
a journalist, writing for several newspapers. During his days as journalist, Dewantara started to
become increasingly active in social and political movements that aimed to undermine Dutch
authority in the Archipelago. His articles in printed media became imbued with anti-colonial
sentiments. Dewantara had close ties with the Boedi Oetomo (the first native political institution
in the Dutch Indies and which played a key role in the Indonesian National Awakening).

On July 13th 1913 Dewantara published an article in the 'De Expres' newspaper, titled "If
I Were a Dutchman". This article included heavy criticism toward plans of the Dutch colonizers
to collect levies from the native population to finance festivities related to the 100th celebration
of Dutch independence from France. Dutch authorities did not allow such criticism and captured
Dewantara - together with his colleagues, Ernest Douwes Dekker and Tjipto
Mangoenkoesoemo - and they were exiled to the Netherlands (the exile was also the result of
their activities in the Indische Partij, one of the first political organizations pioneering Indonesian
nationalism in the colonial regime).

During his exile in the Netherlands Dewantara obtained an European Teachers

Certificate and he became acquainted with the ideas of Montessori and Froebel, western
education pioneers. A few years later when he arrived back in the Archipelago he first
established a school in Yogyakarta together with his brother. Later, in 1922, he founded the
Taman Siswa school. Prior to Taman Siswa, education in the Archipelago was only open to
Dutch people and those natives that were part of the nobility (which included Dewantara).
Besides general knowledge, students were also taught to love the Archipelago and respect
social equality (Dewantara himself would later scrap the Javanese title of Raden Mas in front of
his name in a gesture to support social equality).

He also got appreciation as “Bapak Pendidikan Indonesia” and later was chosen to be
The Minister of Indonesian Education under President Soekarno’s administration.