Who doesn’t know Haji Agus Salim, an Indonesian freedom fighter who was decided as an Indonesian national hero in 1961? The owner of the name appeared Mashudul Haq born in Agam, West Sumatra, was once a journalist, then joined the Sarekat Islam (SI) and became the second leader SI after HOS Tjokroaminoto. His next career he became a member of BPUPKI and helped compile the draft Constitution. Finally, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in many cabinet, namely Syahrir Cabinet, Amir Syarifuddin Cabinet, and Hatta Cabinet.

Against the current flow, but not a few people understand how the care of Agus Salim with his wife Zaenatun Nahar in educating 8 children: Theodora Atia, Jusuf Tewfik Salim, Violet Hanifah, Maria Zenobia, Ahmad Sjewket Salim (died on the battlefield while in Lengkong), Siti Asiah, Islam Salim and her youngest son Mansur Abdur Rachman Ciddiq.

Quoted from the book 100 Years of Haji Agus Salim, entitled Sinar Harapan, in 1996, mentioned, Agus Salim educated directly seven children at the residence location or known as “homeschooling.” Only Mansur Abdurrahman Sidik was the youngest to attend a formal school.

The national figure has a perspective contrary to all the different national leaders who live contemporaries. At the beginning of the 20th century, almost all Indonesian data sent their children to very high levels, even though the Dutch East Indies government-controlled colonial school

TAKE THE ROLE OF A TEACHER
Not many send their children overseas. But for Agus Salim, colonial schools did not create independent children.

Reported by the Ministry of Education and Culture Family Friends forum, Agus Salim then made the location live as a school for his children. He and his wife took turns acting as teachers.

Agus Salim himself climbed the formal school level. He even won the best alumni of Hogere Buger School (HBS) in 1903 in three major cities, namely Batavia, Semarang, and Surabaya.

HBS is a high school equivalent to a high school belonging to the Dutch East Indies colonial government. This school only accepts students of Dutch or European nationality and not many local children whose parents are respected or have ranks.

PLAN SINCE THE BEGINNING
However, after graduating from HBS, Agus Salim hoped that the most popular medical school scholarship in the Netherlands would run aground. Only because he is a native.

It was this bitter experience that might make Agus Salim’s end disappointed and decided that his children would not enter colonial education. Besides, he felt he was able to educate his children at home.

About the youngest who entered formal school, it was because it was triggered after the Dutch colonial era in Indonesia ended.

Kustiniyati Mochtar, a senior journalist at the Indonesia Raya daily, had the opportunity to interview Agus Salim. From the interview which was used as the source of the book Hundred Years of Hajj Agus Salim, Agus Salim recalled, when he was a newlywed, he asked his wife to be diligent in listening and reciting because he planned to educate his children.