History · Technical Education · Independence
Ambacht Cursus and H.A.S. Hanandjoedin
Ambacht Cursus in Manggar was a technical school founded in 1928 to prepare skilled workers for Belitung's tin-mining economy. One of its notable former students was H.A.S. Hanandjoedin.
The founding of Ambacht Cursus
The journal associates the school with the Bevolkingfonds and the tin industry's need for electricians and mechanics. The buildings bore the inscription “ANNO 1928”. Students practised in workshops and company power facilities, in addition to classroom study.
Training and student life
Applicants underwent academic and physical assessments. The article reports a minimum age of 14, a minimum height of 140 cm and approximately 40 admissions per year. Students studied drawing, mathematics, tools, materials, mechanics and languages. Boarding facilities were provided for students from outside Manggar.
The school originally offered a two-year course; the article describes a later three-year programme under the name Ambachtsschool. Students were evaluated on conduct, diligence, punctuality and honesty.
H.A.S. Hanandjoedin: a student who became a fighter
| Year | Event reported in Renjis |
|---|---|
| 1931 | Completed elementary schooling. |
| 1932 | Entered Ambacht Cursus in Manggar, in the Machine Banwerken stream (spelling as printed). |
| 1934 | Graduated from Ambacht Cursus. |
| Later | Worked in tin mining, was described as able to repair military aircraft during wartime, and became an independence fighter. |
Hanandjoedin as Regent of Belitung
View the historical portrait of H.A.S. Hanandjoeddin ↗
Hanandjoedin is also remembered for his service as Bupati (Regent) of Belitung. This connection has been supplied as part of the website's historical research. Historical reporting dates his term as Regent of Belitung to 1967–1972. This date is supported by Historia, rather than the Renjis article.
The school's legacy
The journal traces the names Ambacht Cursus, Ambachtsschool, ST and SMK, and identifies its later successor as SMK Stania in Manggar. The school illustrates how technical knowledge developed under colonial industrial conditions could later contribute to Indonesia's history.
An authenticated portrait is available from Kompas (credited to Kominfo Belitung). It is linked rather than copied into this package because republication permission has not been verified.
Source: Sasangka Adi Nugraha, “Ambacht Cursus 1901–1953,” Renjis, Vol. 5, No. 2 (December 2019), pp. 16–28. Information not established in this article is marked for further verification.