Sekolah Rakyat (SR) is giving Indonesian children opportunities to\ncontinue developing themselves, including through student exchange\nprogrammes abroad.<\/p>\n
The exchange programme has been running at Sekolah Rakyat Menengah\nAtas (SRMA) 21 Surabaya. One student, 17-year-old Muhammad Saifullah,\ntook part in the Sister School programme at Khon Kaen University in\nThailand last August.<\/p>\n
When he first set foot in the Land of the White Elephant, Saiful\ncould not hide his happiness and pride. \u201cI was really happy because it\nwas my first time on a plane, and proud to go abroad to take part in a\nstudent exchange,\u201d he said when met after lessons at SRMA 21 Surabaya\nrecently.<\/p>\n
The programme is the result of cooperation between SRMA 21 Surabaya\nand Labschool at Surabaya State University (Unesa). A total of 13\npeople, including Sekolah Rakyat students and Labschool Unesa students,\ntook part.<\/p>\n
The students from Sekolah Rakyat selected to travel to Thailand were\nchosen on the basis of their English skills and talents. Of the 97\nstudents, four of the best were selected from different classes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were chosen based on their English, as well as their talents.\nSome are good at dancing or make-up and can showcase Indonesian culture\nin Thailand. The others were selected for their English ability and\ncommunication skills,\u201d Saiful explained.<\/p>\n
Saiful said he had enjoyed English lessons since junior secondary\nschool. At Sekolah Rakyat, he had studied the simple past and simple\npresent tenses, as well as descriptive text. \u201cEnglish is my favourite.\nIt\u2019s really fun, and the language is quite trendy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Activities in Thailand included sitting in on classes at Khon Kaen\nDemonstration School for junior secondary pupils, and attending a\npre-university class at Khon Kaen University\u2019s Faculty of Education for\nsenior secondary pupils.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe learnt English and studied the language in greater depth. The\nlessons were much the same: the simple present and past tenses, grammar,\nand chemistry taught in English,\u201d Saiful said.<\/p>\n
The Sekolah Rakyat students learnt about many things during their\nstay in Thailand, including introducing Indonesian culture through the\ntraditional Remo dance from East Java, accompanied by narration in\nEnglish.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first arrived at the university, there was a morning\nassembly ceremony with the rector. We performed two dances: the Remo\nfrom Sekolah Rakyat and the Jaipong from Labschool,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Alongside classroom activities, the students were introduced to local\nculture through social studies in Bangkok and Laos. \u201cWe went to Laos for\na city tour, visiting a souvenir shop, a Buddha statue and a museum. It\nwas one day, from morning until afternoon,\u201d Saiful said.<\/p>\n
The visit to Thailand was an unforgettable experience for all four\nSekolah Rakyat students, particularly Saiful. \u201cI hope there will be\nanother programme next year and that I can be selected again to take\npart in a student exchange abroad,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Saiful comes from a family whose parents separated when he was five.\nSince then, he has had no news of his mother and has never even\ncommunicated with her by phone.<\/p>\n
It was not easy for an only child like Saiful to grow up without a\nmother\u2019s affection. He became withdrawn and preferred to spend time\nalone. \u201cIn primary and junior secondary school, I was very introverted\nand rarely socialised,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His life began to change at Sekolah Rakyat. The boarding-school\nsystem and the sense of community around him made it easier to socialise\nand communicate. \u201cI used to walk home from school alone, but here I\u2019m\naccompanied by lots of friends. I\u2019ve also started to become more\nextroverted. It\u2019s easier for me to talk to people here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
After about three months, Saiful said he had experienced the warmth\nof life at Sekolah Rakyat. He said the teachers at SRMA 21 Surabaya were\nexperienced and used engaging teaching methods that made lessons easy to\nunderstand.<\/p>\n
Eighteen teachers deliver lessons to the students, while 11 student\nmentors and three dormitory supervisors provide support during their\ntime at school.<\/p>\n
The school also has well-equipped facilities. \u201cThe facilities here\nare very comfortable: there\u2019s air conditioning, washbasins and very soft\nmattresses,\u201d Saiful said.<\/p>\n
Sekolah Rakyat teaches more than academic knowledge; it also helps\nshape character. Saiful said he had become more diligent in worship and\nstudy while at the school.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/after-a-year-in-operation-sekolah-rakyat-students-can-join-student-exchanges-1791449682", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }