Tips for finding a good school for your children<\/p>\n
The growing number of national plus schools in Jakarta and
\nother major cities in Indonesia has demonstrated an increasing
\nawareness of the importance of quality education.<\/p>\n
The schools, which combine national and foreign educational
\nsystems in their curricula, provide good alternatives for parents
\nseeking quality education for their children.<\/p>\n
National plus schools differ from conventional ones in that
\nthey generally employ international education systems in addition
\nto their national curriculum.<\/p>\n
Some of them adopt the education systems of certain countries
\nsuch as Australia, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Others use
\nthe International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, which has been
\nadopted by thousands of schools in the world.<\/p>\n
Using both Bahasa Indonesia and English as the languages of
\ninstruction is also a main characteristic of national plus
\nschools.<\/p>\n
Other characteristics include the provision of quality
\nteaching and learning facilities and resources. The educational
\nprograms reflect student-oriented learning delivered by teachers
\ntrained in up-to-date and effective methodologies.<\/p>\n
National plus schools first appeared in Indonesia in the early
\n1990s, when a number of educational institutions were allowed to
\nadopt international education programs to supplement their
\nnational curricula.<\/p>\n
The number of these elite schools has grown rapidly since
\nthen. The Association of National Plus Schools (ANPS) estimates
\nthat there are more than 100 schools that claim to be national
\nplus ones, but only about 50 of them have registered with the
\nassociation and meet its standards.<\/p>\n
The lack of accreditation standards to determine the quality
\nof national plus schools has been a source of confusion for the
\npublic. As the Ministry of National Education is yet to issue
\ncriteria for the opening of a national plus school, any school
\ncan claim itself to be national plus, only by adding certain
\nclasses in addition to their national curriculum.<\/p>\n
It is, certainly, bad news for the parents. But the
\ninitiatives taken recently by ANPS to issue accreditation
\nstandards for its members will be quite helpful.<\/p>\n
Although there are a lot of national plus schools in almost
\nall major cities of Indonesia, it is not always easy to find the
\nright school for your child. Here are some tips:<\/p>\n
Gather information
\n* Are published reports or brochures about the school available?
\nAsk the school to send them to you.
\n* Can the school provide you with statistics on student test
\nscores, discipline, attendance and parent satisfaction surveys?
\nAsk if they can send them to you.
\n* Do you know other parents who have children at this school? Ask
\nabout their impressions and experiences.
\n* If you are considering a startup school, what evidence can the
\nschool founders provide to show that the model for the school
\nwill be effective?<\/p>\n
Visiting Schools<\/p>\n
* Talk to the teachers and principal to find out how well the
\nschool meets your child's learning needs and the services that
\nare most important to you. Here are other questions you might
\nask:
\n* Does the school have a special program focus or curriculum?
\nWhat kinds of global curriculum do they adopt? If so, what are
\nthe main features?
\n* What is the average class size?
\n* What is the school's mission and educational philosophy?
\n* What are the school's goals? How does the school plan to
\nachieve them?
\n* What are the school's standards? For example, what should
\nchildren know by the fourth grade in science, or what writing
\nskills should they be able to demonstrate by the end of the sixth
\ngrade?
\n* Does the school expect every child to meet the same standards?
\nThe school should prepare all students to successfully compete in
\ntoday's demanding world.
\n* What kind of extra help is available for students who may be
\nstruggling in academic areas?<\/p>\n
Parents' Involvement.
\n* How are you greeted by administrators, teachers and office
\nstaff?
\n* How are parents involved in the school?
\n* Is there an active parent organization in the school?
\n* How often do teachers communicate with parents? Are their
\ncommunications clear and respectful?
\n* Are parent conferences set up at times that are convenient for
\nparents? Are parents given plenty of advance notice so they can
\narrange to meet with teachers?<\/p>\n
Contact ANPS<\/p>\n
If you are still unsure about what to do, it would be wise to
\ncontact the Association of National Plus Schools (ANPS) or send
\nan e-mail to the association's executive director
\nwei_anps@yahoo.com for more information. -- The Jakarta Post<\/p>",
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