A good national plus school

This letter is in response to Foreign teachers not qualified printed in The Jakarta Post on May 21.

As my daughter had the privilege of being a student at a well- known national-plus school in Bintaro for nearly 10 years I want to share my observations and experience in what to look for in a good national-plus school.

As with many products sold in Indonesia, there is a huge range of quality. It is up to the customer not to blindly listen to the salesperson but to research the product thoroughly before making a decision. This process should be the same when trying to choose a school among the mushrooming choices.

A good school should be a non-profit organization. It invests in its teachers because without good teachers, there is no school. Look for a school that continually upgrades the teachers by holding workshops and training sessions.

If you are concerned about whether the expat teachers are fully qualified, approach the school principal about your concern.

One way to see how the classes function is to arrive at the school unannounced and ask to sit in a class of your choice so that you can observe an actual class, not something that has been choreographed. A good school will allow this.

Many parents think that teaching only in English is more beneficial. Over the years there have been some parents pressuring the school to teach only in English, but the school has maintained its bilingual approach. Studies have shown that for a non-native speaker of English to do well in English, they must have a strong basis in their own language. Respect and proper use of their own language also helps in establishing their identity.

Does the school have a vision and mission statement which is actively implemented?

The decision to send my daughter to a national-plus school was not made lightly because it is a huge investment, but because of the dire situation of the Indonesian education system it was a choice that thankfully I could make. My hope is that this standard of education will be available for all Indonesian students in the not too distant future.

ALA SULISTYONO, Jakarta