Students find learning made fun at international schools<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Besides the predominant Caucasian, Indian and non-Indonesian
\nAsian students, there are also a number of Indonesian students to
\nbe found in the classrooms of the British International School
\n(BIS) in Bintaro, Tangerang.<\/p>\n
\"I sent Samantha here as I want her to enjoy school,\" said
\nConnie Bakrie on Saturday. Previously, said the 39-year-old
\nmother, Samantha went to an Indonesian school but was so
\noverburdened with material that she started cutting classes.<\/p>\n
The difference lies in the teaching methods provided in
\ninternational schools. \"The students here are more involved in
\nthe learning process,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The mother of two was visiting the BIS on Saturday to
\nparticipate firsthand in its \"Curriculum Day\", which was held by
\nthe school to mark its 30th anniversary. During the day, the
\nparents of the some 600 students attending the school were given
\nthe change to take part in classroom activities.<\/p>\n
Vice Principal Frank Znideric said that the event was held to
\ninform parents about what their children did in class, and to
\nstrengthen the partnership between parents and the school's
\nmanagement.<\/p>\n
\"As they (parents) can see, the learning process is really fun
\nthese days, much different from what it was in their time,\" said
\nZnideric.<\/p>\n
Bakrie said that she understood now why her daughter, who is
\nin year three, is always eager to go to school. \"Even when she's
\nsick, she still wants to go,\" said Bakrie.<\/p>\n
Jakarta has seen an increasing trend in the number of parents
\nsending their children to international or national-plus schools,
\nwhich have sprung up in many big cities here, where students are
\ntaught through the medium of English.<\/p>\n
A student must pay between US$10,000 and $15,000 in tuition
\nfees per academic year in the BIS, dozens of times more expensive
\nthan the fees charged by Indonesian schools. Nevertheless, some
\n20 percent of the students in international schools are
\nIndonesian.<\/p>\n
\"The curriculum used in Indonesian schools aims too high,\"
\nsaid Bakrie. \"Teachers force students to finish the curriculum,
\njust for the sake of finishing it.<\/p>\n
\"Here, teachers monitor the development of the student.\"<\/p>\n
Jakarta plans to apply a competence-based curriculum starting
\nin academic year 2004\/2005. However, Bakrie was skeptical about
\nthe outcome, saying that most teachers here were ill-prepared to
\nimplement such a curriculum.<\/p>\n
It is not surprising, then, that well-off parents are opting
\nfor international schools. \"We are seeing a steady increase of
\nbetween 5 percent and 6 percent per year in the number of our
\nstudents,\" said Znideric. There was a dip following the Bali
\nbombing, but the situation had returned to normal, he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-find-learning-made-fun-at-international-schools-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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