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The government’s goal of expanding its selection of books for schools nationwide could be the opportunity aspiring writers have been waiting for.

The Ministry of Education on Monday urged the public to submit textbook proposals that schools could use as early as next year.

Djemari Mardapi, head of the National Education Standardiation Agency (BSNP), said the ministry was not setting a criteria for prospective authors.

“We are not inviting only those with teaching experience, but also those who have the educational background and a deep understanding of what students need to learn at the elementary level and junior and senior high schools,” Djemari said.

A study conducted last year by Paramadina University in South Jakarta shows that elementary students found it hard to understand their textbooks, which used language and contained details that were more appropriate for higher levels.

By calling the public to submit their proposals, the ministry hopes to broaden its base of contributors and offer schools a better selection of textbooks.

Djemari said the ministry was not setting qualifications for the writers. Instead, it would assess the book proposals based on their quality. Some of the criteria for evaluation include relevance of content and the images used, the book’s layout, readability and the correct use of language.

Even foreign nationals and fresh university graduates are encouraged to submit book proposals. But Djemari urged contributors who were not familiar with the local school system to first conduct research and seek the assistance of education counselors or experts.

“We don’t have regulations prohibiting foreigners from participating,” Djemari said. “But to make sure that foreign nationals have a better idea of what local schoolchildren need, it would be better for them to coordinate with or write their books jointly with an Indonesian expert.”

Djemari said the ministry needed textbooks that tackled religious studies for the elementary level and the junior and senior high school levels, and textbooks on civic studies and foreign languages for senior high school students.

The ministry will accept book proposals on religious studies ranging from Islam, Buddhism, Catholicism, Confucianism and Hinduism. Foreign language manuscripts teaching Arabic, Chinese, French, German and Japanese are also welcome.

Edy Tri Baskoro, a BSNP representative, said all book proposals would go through a preselection process first before the evaluation proper.

“The content, for example, may be interesting, but those who want to submit their manuscripts need to know that layout, the images used and the overall presentation are important to the students too,” Edy said.

Djemari said it would take several months to assess the book proposals. Four different education experts will evaluate each manuscript but will be limited to only three books at a given time, depending on the subject and for which school level the book was written.

Content and layout will be evaluated by education experts, while language assessment will fall under the responsibility of senior teachers.

Between 2007 and 2009, 10,000 manuscripts dealing with other subjects were submitted to Djemari’s agency and 3,200 of those met government standards.

“We started promoting this program [of inviting the public] in several cities already, including Surabaya in East Java and Bandung in West Java, since last week,” Djemari said.

Compensation for the books fall under two categories. The writer could sell his book to the government and earn Rp 100 million ($10,582) to Rp 175 million, or he could talk to a publisher who could help distribute the book.

The ministry’s Book Center at Jalan Gulun Sahara Raya No.4, Central Jakarta, will accept manuscripts on April 20-22 next year.