Yogyakarta experimental school teaches through doing<\/p>\n
By Text and photos by Ahmad Solikhan<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The old traditional Javanese house with
\nbamboo walls doesn't stand out among the other humble houses in
\nthe neighborhood. From the outside, there are no signs the house
\nis used as school; nothing gives away its extraordinary function.<\/p>\n
Founded by Y.B. Mangunwijaya in 1994, the school offers
\nsubjects carefully designed to develop the students' religious,
\nintellectual and work ethos.<\/p>\n
Indonesians who have such qualities were ones consistently
\npraised by Mangunwijaya, a priest, social worker and
\nintellectual, who died last month aged 69.<\/p>\n
He was an ardent critic of the existing education system,
\nwhich he considered to be more a form of indoctrination rather
\nthan a forum for training students to be independent and critical
\nthinkers.<\/p>\n
Affiliated with the Catholic Kanisius Foundation and the
\nKompas-Gramedia Group, the Experimental Elementary School is
\nlocated at Mangunan village, 12 kilometers east of Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The building, which has been rented from a local resident from
\n1994 to 2003, has four classrooms. All walls are made of bamboo
\nand the teacher's room looks more like a roadside food stall.<\/p>\n
A section of the house is used to accommodate poor students,
\nwho are paid to help clean the building. Initially, the division
\nwas designed to accommodate street children, but most of them
\ndropped out of the school, and only four of the original remain
\nthere.<\/p>\n
Currently, the school has 69 students, five teachers and a
\nheadmaster whose teaching speciality is math. Two of the teachers
\nare graduates of the Sanata Dharma Teachers Training college,
\nYogyakarta, and the rest are graduates of teacher-training high
\nschools.<\/p>\n
Most of the students are from poor families in the area.
\nUnless they come from a well-to-do family, they are exempted from
\ntuition fees. Students from family's with adequate financial
\nresources are required -- depending on the families economic
\nsituation -- to pay between Rp 1,000 and Rp 8,000 a month.<\/p>\n
On a field trip, accompanied by their teacher who wore thongs,
\na group of students in white shirts and red shorts walked
\nbarefoot along the edge of a farm's canal. Carrying books and
\npencils, they talked to a man plowing his land about farming.<\/p>\n
On another occasion, a biology teacher led students on a walk
\nthrough villages. The students were free to ask their teacher
\nabout anything they saw -- trees, frogs, worms -- anything, as
\nlong as it was relevant to the subject. Upon their return, they
\ndiscussed what they had learned from the field trip.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, the students had to submit a report, a
\nrequirement which is unusual for conventional Indonesian
\nelementary school students.<\/p>\n
The Mangunan school, originally a public school, existed in a
\ndifferent form before Mangunwijaya's involvement. The original
\nschool though, almost closed down because of dwindling student
\nnumbers. Mangunwijaya came to the rescue with the new idea of a
\nnine-year elementary education, instead of the usual six years of
\nstudy.<\/p>\n
Romo Mangun -- as Mangunwijaya was affectionately called by
\nhis friends -- designed the curriculum with reference to the
\ngovernment one, which is compulsory for schools nationwide.
\nHowever, he developed it in an innovative way and enriched it
\nwith aspects of local culture.<\/p>\n
\"We wish to help the students become more inquisitive and
\neager to create,\" says school headmaster AM Sri Mursitowati.<\/p>\n
Last year, all 14 six graders passed the national exam -- the
\nfirst the school has ever taken. All of the graduates continued
\ntheir secondary education elsewhere. According to Mursitowati,
\nthe Berbah Education Ministry Office ranked the graduates the
\nhighest at the sub-district level.<\/p>\n
Romo Mangun's basic concept is based on the philosophy that
\nchildren are homo ludens (playing beings). He believed that the
\nbest way for children to learn is through playing and direct
\nexperience.<\/p>\n
\"Students in this school are encouraged to learn directly from
\ntheir daily experiences,\" says Ninik Marheni, a teacher of the
\nfourth graders.<\/p>\n
Romo Mangun also believed that children should be taught the
\nuniversal truths about religions, and therefore the school does
\nnot offer the usual form of religious classes. Instead, students
\ntake a subject called \"communication of faiths\", in which they
\nare taught concepts such as ethics and mutual respect among
\nbelievers of different religions.<\/p>\n
To provoke student inquisitiveness, teachers give them
\nhomework in which they must find answers to specific questions,
\nsuch as the reason a broom becomes shorter after daily use.<\/p>\n
Pupils must read selected books for discussion. After they
\nfinish, independent analysis is encouraged.<\/p>\n
\"In discussions, we keep changing the seat arrangements to
\nminimize the boredom factor,\" says Marheni.<\/p>\n
Unlike other schools, teachers are strict about time usage
\nduring non-teaching hours. For example, when students have
\nfinished an assignment ahead of time, they may play with
\neducational toys but not leave the classroom.<\/p>\n
The toys are constructed by the teachers; others are from
\nGermany and the Netherlands. Mathematics is taught with teaching
\naids to create a less intimidating learning environment. The
\nEnglish language, likewise, is introduced through activities such
\nas singing and outdoor activities.<\/p>\n
Biology is taught largely through experimentation. Student
\ninitiated reports on their work are placed on the school walls.
\nOne of the reports, belonging to fourth grader Yeny Rika Masyana,
\ntells of her discovery that hot air has a lower pressure than
\nthat of cold air.<\/p>\n
Another outstanding notice is a report by Sumarsih concerning
\nher observations on cat fish.<\/p>\n
The learning methods have turned out to be extremely
\neffective. Students say that they enjoy learning. Mathematics and
\nEnglish are not dreaded as other students often find them. They
\ndo not worry that the subjects are markedly different from those
\nin other schools.<\/p>\n
Romo Mangun paid special attention to the qualifications of
\nthe school teachers. Every three months he would organize an
\nupgrading course for them, while individual performances were
\nevaluated every Friday.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that the teacher should be conscientious and
\nloving; one who can play the role of sibling, friend and parent
\nfor their pupils.<\/p>\n
In their first months in the classroom, the staff are
\nsupervised by lecturers from Sanata Dharma University.<\/p>\n
\"You can imagine how unnerving it is to be watched while you
\nare teaching,\" Marheni grinned. \"If we made a mistake, they (the
\nsupervisors) would tell us as soon as the class was over.\"<\/p>\n
Romo Mangun was serious about training teachers. To follow
\nthis course, he invited many experts to the school. Entertainer
\nButet Kertarejasa was one of those who trained the teachers in
\nstory telling.<\/p>\n
These innovations and other show that the school is realizing
\nRomo Mangun's ideal of training capable people with pioneering
\nspirit for the 21st century.<\/p>",
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